Asparagus - II

Tomoe Yokoi

A carefully curated bunch of asparagus spears, packed in a bag, rests on the top of a reflective surface emerging from a soft black background. Tomoe Yokoi presents these everyday objects like revered pieces in a museum, but she's created a veil of surrealism for the composition. It is not simply a still life, but a mysterious narrative left to the viewer to discern.

Tomoe Yokoi was born in Nagoya, Japan in 1942. Her formal art studies began at Tokyo's Bunka-Gakuen, one of Japan's first women's colleges, and the first to offer a wide range of courses to women. The curriculum focused on traditional Western techniques and representational subject matter such as still lifes and landscapes.

Following her graduation in 1964, Yokoi moved to Paris and studied intaglio printmaking with Stanley William Hayter at Atelier 17. While there, Yokoi perfected her the mezzotint technique - her preferred medium - expanding its parameters to include more complex images and subtle color nuances. In 1971, Yokoi moved to New York City where she worked and introduced her art to new audiences. She developed a unique style that combines and is a synthesis of her Japanese, Parisian and New York experiences.