Danielle O'Connor Akiyama: A Luminous Fusion of East and West
Danielle O'Connor Akiyama, a Toronto-based artist, has captivated the art world with her vibrant and expressive paintings for over three decades. Her unique fusion of Eastern and Western artistic techniques has earned her international acclaim and a dedicated following of collectors.
Early Life and Education
Born in Toronto, Canada, in 1957, Danielle O'Connor Akiyama grew up in a nurturing and creative family environment. Encouraged by her artistic mother and inventive father, she began exploring her passion for painting at a young age. After recovering from an illness in her teens, Akiyama embarked on a journey of world travel, which would greatly influence her artistic vision.
Artistic Development and Style
Akiyama's distinctive style emerged through her studies of Sumi-e, a Japanese form of brush painting. She earned the prestigious Master's Seal for her exceptional work in this discipline, and her honorary title, 'Chi-Sho,' translates to 'Source of Joy.' This Eastern influence, combined with her Western sensibilities, results in a harmonious and captivating visual language. Akiyama's paintings are characterised by fluid brushstrokes, vibrant colours, and a sense of energy and life.
Career Highlights and Achievements
Throughout her career, Danielle O'Connor Akiyama has exhibited her work internationally, with a strong presence in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and North America. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including representing Canada at the 2009 Art Biennale and receiving the President's 1st Choice at the Florence Biennale.
Contributions to the Art Community
Before dedicating herself fully to painting, Akiyama studied and worked as an Art Therapist, using art to help people of all ages achieve personal growth and emotional healing. This background in psychology has provided a profound influence on her inspirational images.
Personal Life and Philanthropy
Danielle O'Connor Akiyama is married to Denis and has spent much of her life traveling the world, seeking inspiration for her art. She collects minerals, such as gold, quartz, and diamond tailings, which she incorporates into her paintings to create unique textures and a connection to the earth.
Legacy and Impact
Akiyama's work has been celebrated in a major fine art retrospective book entitled 'Illumination,' further solidifying her status as a significant contemporary artist. Her paintings are highly sought after by collectors on both sides of the Pacific, and her distinctive style has made a lasting impact on the art world.
Danielle O'Connor Akiyama's luminous paintings are a testament to her unique vision, technical skill, and ability to bridge Eastern and Western artistic traditions. Her work continues to inspire and captivate audiences, ensuring her enduring legacy in the art world.
The artist remains one the most popular floral and contemporary ❤️ painters on UK gallery wall space, as she enthrals you with imagery of flower heads, trees in full bloom up a mountain or waterfalls pouring off rock faces.
A master of course of 'Sumi-e' Japanese style painting, it is you the viewer who she invites to reflect on the vast emotional content in each limited edition and original painting that Danielle presents.
Feedback we receive suggests that her art has been particularly beneficial to its owners during the lockdowns of the Covid19 crisis, offering hope and drawing you to inspirational mind spaces - August 2021
Danielle spoils you once again with the new 'Danielle O'Connor Akiyama - One - Collection,' four illuminating & beautiful new releases - 24th September 2020
'Stories Of Truth I, II & III' takes us into the world of Pink blossomed trees and upright editions overlooking the sea with pink, blue and yellow background canvases.
'One World,' is a spectacular and larger edition taking us into Danielle's ethereal world, made more lush with her mastery of 'Sumi-e' (Japanese brush stroke painting).
6th March 2020 sees Danielle release her much anticipated new limited editions and the pair have been called the 'Conversations Of Love - collection' : two superb new hand finished canvases: 'The Awakening' and 'Cocktail Hour'; Akiyama spoils us with yet more new colour palettes in these two superb releases, with optional crisp white frames.
For over a decade, Canadian artist Danielle O'Connor Akiyama has dominated the world of collectable floral art in the UK & Worldwide for close to 30 years and has reinterpreted the genre to much acclaim.
Blending her loose style into a new form of narrative impressionism, her art seems to speak to people on a deep emotional level and many are moved by the artist's paintings.
Unsurprising, Danielle comes from a family of artists including both her sisters & mother. Her father, although not an artist, was known for having a loveable creative streak so even she would say her talent was in the genes!
After some illness in her informative years, the artist travelled extensively as soon as she left college and this journey mirrored an inward one for peace and spirituality, inspired by encouraging words from her mother. She found meaning and energy from painting and was moved to paint her own stories onto canvas. It seems only natural that she qualified and became an Art Therapist, encouraging others (as she does herself) to express emotions through art and to begin their own healing journeys.
In the late 1980s she married Japanese actor Dennis & while in Japan studied their Brush painting technique and was a prized student of their famous Nanga School - she finally realised art was her calling. The family, including 2 young children, moved to New York in the 1990s for her husband's career and Danielle was enthused by the energy of the Big Apple art scene; it was here where here that her signature style became fully developed.
Danielle now resides in Toronto, Canada and continues to have sell out exhibitions and appearances worldwide. Her limited edition canvas art is highly collectible, often hand glazed for lush effect, as are her original works of art.
show less
