Cover Art Contest 2022: Second Place

Mariana Ikuta

This piece is the second place winner for the 2022 Cover Art Contest, as judged by ness lee.

SECOND PLACE: Hoping Coping, by Mariana Ikuta

“My work is centred in human connection exploring lyrical and emotional expression. I feel incredibly inspired by complex feelings and discovering more about the inner world. Feelings have infinite shades, densities and patterns. They are currents that take you to multiple directions at the same time, to places where even words lose meaning. These are some glimpses of some bits and pieces that usually prefer to hide away, little corners I spent a long time in.”

 

I can relate to this piece in its emotionally figurative expressions- the fullness of the bodies fitting into one another and the movement of lines expressed with the figurative forms. There is a soft density and stillness present in the way these bodies of presence are one with another. I thought this was beautiful in the way we can feel many phases of self in an inner world. — Judge Ness Lee

My name is Mariana, and I’m a writer and illustrator. I feel I’ve always lived in between worlds throughout my life and work. I’m of Japanese descent born in Brazil, currently living in Canada and I found myself lost in my identity. Making art is the place I can belong.

Upcoming Issue

Room 45.2 Cover

ROOM 46.2: Ley Line
Editor: Geffen Semach
Assistant Editor: Annick MacAskill
Shadows: Adesina Brown, Kendra Heinz, Nara Monteiro
Cover Art by semillites hernández velasco

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Illustration by Paige Jung of five Asian faces of various ages and skin colours. All are wearing bright clothes and have sombre expressions.

ROOM 46.1 AROUND THE TABLE: ASIAN VOICES
Editor: Michelle Ha
Assistant Editor: Shristi Uprety and Isabella Wang
Cover Art by Paige Jung

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