I am an artist specializing in performance, video and installations. My work often explores the theme of Inside/Outside, meaning insider/ousider, home/away, personal/social and many other related concepts.

My work is characterized by minimalist expression: the border between inside and outside, for example, can be represented by nothing more than an inflated balloon of translucent fabric. Similarly my videos generally employ simple structures and editing to make their point.

I was born in Kyoto, Japan, raised in Hiroshima, live and work in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. My life as an expatriate between two very different countries has influenced my work considerably.

While studying art at the university in Kyoto I worked at a traditional tea house (a place where patrons are entertained by Geisha ) in my spare time. This is the time when I found the beauty of Kimono and crafts. I also became aware of a unique mixture of tradition and modernity in Japan.

As a mother of two children in the Netherlands I found the importance of early education, especially through art. My children’s art classes began out of this interest.

These central themes form the basis of much of my life’s work.

Kyoko Inatome