Manabu Ikeda (b. 1973, Saga, Japan) weaves elements of civilization and nature into fantastic narratives which emanate a sense of pure curiosity and abundant imagination. His drawings, created with a fine pen nib and ink, are so alarmingly dense that they can easily seduce the viewer into a lengthy exploration of the minute details. However, when one backs up to view the whole image, the accumulated details form a masterfully created conglomerate of micro-narratives that merge into an expansive macro world. Ikeda received both his BFA and MFA from Tokyo University of the Arts. Since his graduation, Ikeda has been building his career and reputation as an artist in Japan, but he began to receive critical attention from American audiences following his participation in the exhibition Bye Bye Kitty!!! Between Heaven and Hell in Contemporary Japanese Art at the Japan Society in New York City in 2011. He had a major exhibition of his work tour to the Saga Prefecture Art Museum and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa. He completed a multi-year residency at the Chazen Museum of Art in 2016 and is currently an artist-in-residence at Epic Corporation in Verona, Wisconsin. Manabu Ikeda currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

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