​February 20-23
​On Display at the Sie FilmCenter
2510 E Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80206

Curated by Eriko Tsogo

Curator Statement

The Asian American Artist Showcase is a fine art exhibition that features a diverse selection of 15 original works by established Colorado artists Homare Ikeda, Yuki Horikawa, Tsogo Mijid, and Mamiko Ikeda. The group exhibition offers a celebration of culture, diversity and outstanding artistry by Asian American artists. Viewers are invited to browse, inquire, and purchase art from the exhibition.

The artists will be in attendance at the Film Festival's Opening Reception on Thursday, February 20, 6-9pm.

For inquiries regarding artworks on display including sales, please contact the Exhibition Curator, Eriko, at erdensyren@yahoo.com.

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Homare Ikeda

Ikeda was born on a tiny subtropical island near Okinawa, off the coast of Japan. He spent his childhood exploring the island and the coral reefs surrounding it. The island's associated life-forms greatly influenced his artistic vision. Ikeda had no exposure to the world of fine arts but was interested nonetheless.

​In 1978 he moved to the United States. Thanks to a college professor in Stockton, California for guiding him to the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received both a BFA and MFA. Ikeda also attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Main, was also an artist in residence at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Platte Forum and RedLine in Denver. Currently, he teaches painting at the Art Students League of Denver while continuing to explore painting.

Mamiko Ikeda

​Mamiko, from Tokyo, Japan, is a cultural educator and multi-media artist who mainly creates calligraphy art, prints, and animation. She also enjoys composing music, playing guitar & sanshin (Okinawan instrument), and has created unique music & art collaborative pieces. Early in her life she began studying shodo, or Japanese calligraphy, with her mother, master calligrapher Shotei Miura, as her guide. Later, drawn to the American West to study Native American culture and storytelling, she earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Denver in Liberal Arts, specializing in American Indian Studies. She aims to bring harmony to others through multiple creative and therapeutic uses of her hands, including art, music, and healing art.

She has published a Japanese calligraphy learning book co-authored with her mother, Japanese Calligraphy - The Basics in US and in Japan.

​Tsogo Mijid

​​Tsogtsaikhan “Tsogo” Mijid was born and raised in the heart of the luminous mountains of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. His artistic talents proved uninhibited from a young age while growing up in a society of parallel dysfunctions amid a conflicting period when strong cultural censorship and Communist idealism took place. Having lived an interesting life through various political systems in many different countries, Tsogo remains a versatile artist whose different art practices continues to reflect his migratory experiences.

Tsogo has had numerous solo and select group exhibitions in Mongolia, Hungary, Germany, Russia and the United States. His artwork is owned by the 14th Dalai Lama, the Denver Art Museum Asian Art Collection, and on permanent display at the Denver Zoo and Meow Wolf Museum Denver (Upcoming in 2020). 
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​Tsogo has been a member at the Pirate Contemporary Art Gallery in Denver, Colorado for twenty years where he continues to live and pursue his art.

Yuki Horikawa

​I have worked as both a commercial and fine artist. My illustrations as well as paintings can be found in print having been published by Bantam Books and Watson Guptill, in film in “Raggedy Ann and Andy” and in various textile design manufacturing collections such as McCalls and Aquascutum.

A chance class in 2005 began my love of pastel portrait painting. Since then it has been the focus of my work. With each portrait I have tried to capture the essence of the model in their expression and with their attire being an essential element to the story.

My work has been exhibited in both New York City and Denver, Colorado. I hold an Associate of Applied Sciences degree from both the Fashion Institute of Technology and a college in my home town of Tokyo.

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