Many great minds have been captivated by the concept of a single unifying principle that governs the all that is our universe, a principle in which all things are connected by a universal truth. While we often associate this inquiry with the sciences and philosophy, it is also an important influence in the arts. I have long been intrigued and inspired by the concept of a unifying principle and have been creating artworks in which the concept is interpreted through shape, color, and spatial relationships. I create works in which elements function like organic building blocks: atoms form a molecule, molecules form a compound, compounds form a cell, cells form an organism, and so on. The marks, lines, shapes, colors, and textures that are the basic language of my work form a kind of network structure—a system of interconnected nodes that seem energized by their interaction within the network. In the interdependence, synergy, and the flow of meaning and significance within these networks, there is subtle and profound beauty. 

I have been fascinated by similarities found in the patterns and shapes of the natural world, patterns repeated all around us in structures microscopic to galactic. Many organic structures seem to be formed of self-similar fractal patterns, in which patterns develop and recur at successively larger (or smaller, depending upon perspective) scales. Once organized, a fractal pattern can be recreated at any scale in any number of progressive iterations. I have discovered a connection between fractal patterns and the central theme of my artwork as described in the preceding paragraph. In Fractal, I explore this relationship through the use of representative fractal elements inspired by self-similar pattern replication found in the structures of many plants.

-Seiko Tachibana

Themes+Projects gallery presents Connection, by Seiko Tachibana titled For this exhibition, Seiko is working with the idea of circles and what the may represent. At times, they may be singular or be modular units that come together to form something larger. Seiko has long been intrigued and inspired by the concept of a unifying principle and has been creating artworks in which the concept is interpreted through shape, color, and spatial relationships. At times, her pieces are not limited to just one panel, but may be a series of panels that connect to one another through their composition.

Artist Bio

Seiko Tachibana was born in Japan and completed her Masters of Art Education at Kobe University, Japan. She received an MFA from San Francisco Art Institute in 1995, and has since received many awards including Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation Award. She has been living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1993. Her distinctive work balances Asian tradition with minimalist modernity. Seiko’s work has shown internationally also can be found in the Los Angeles County Museum, Fine Art Museums of San Francisco the Legion of the Honor, Portland Art Museum as well as a number of other museums, institutions and individual collections throughout USA, Europe and Japan.