ryoko adachi

I find nature fascinating because its power is beyond human control, which has inspired many of my works. I am interested not only in the traditional view of nature, but also in the relationship between life and technology, and how life should be in modern society.

In recent years, it has become clear that the internal and external surfaces of human beings, animals and plants are covered with numerous microorganisms that interact with and influence each other. My artworks have been focused on respecting the systemic forms of life like them and also protesting against things that could hurt them.

In the 1990s, I worked in a unit called “muon.” Working with natural materials from microorganisms to minerals, muon's installations explored the boundaries between life and non-life. It was at that time that I started to become interested in various forms of life. Later, I changed my medium of expression from three-dimensional space to the space inside books, and began working on my artist books. Inspired by book artists in Germany, I went to Germany to learn more about book art. Participating in book fairs in various countries and interacting with other artists gave me opportunities to experience how book works can be tools to connect people. I am currently based in Tokyo, and also participate in Artist alliance: Booklyn.

Public Collections

Deutsche Nationalbibliothek／Leipzig, Germany
Klingspor Museum／Offenbach, Germany
RikArt by Helsinki City Library／Helsinki, Finland
Bibliothèque nationale Luxembourg ／Luxembourg
Trinity College／Dublin, Ireland
Wellcome Collection／London, United Kingdom
the University of Chicago, Illinois／Chicago USA
the University of Minnesota／Minneapolis, USA
Stanford University, Special Collections Library, Stanford／California, USA
Florida Atlantic University, Arthur and Mata Jaffe Book as Aesthetic Object Collection, Boca Raton／Florida USA
the University of Central Florida／Florida USA
Boston Athenaeum／Boston USA
Lafayette College, Special Collections Library／Easton USA
Swarthmore College, Special Collections Library,, Swarthmore／Pennsylvania USA
Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection／Chicago USA
University of Delaware Library／Delaware USA
St Olaf College／Minneapolis, USA
University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB)／California, USA
The Getty Research Institute／California, USA
Wesleyan University, Olin Library／Connecticut USA
Bainbridge Museum of Art／Washington, USA
University of Connecticut (UCONN)／Connecticut USA
Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute／Massachusetts USA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Libraries／Massachusetts USA
Ringling College／Florida USA
Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Arts, Wits Art Museum (WAM), The University of the Witwatersrand／Johannesburg South Africa