The Poster Club Toetiee - Bird Stump

For over 15 years, Kyoko Takeshita lived a life in constant motion. But everything changed when she was diagnosed with Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness, a chronic dysfunction of the vestibular system and brain. Suddenly, the bustling cities that once fuelled her creativity became overwhelming and Kyoko found herself returning to the mountains and forests of her hometown of Nanto-shi, Japan.

The transition was not easy. Leaving behind her fast-paced lifestyle, she turned to nature, where the slower rhythms provided a new source of inspiration. “The mountain scenery reminds me that I’m just a small part of this vast universe, a creature wandering the earth,” she says. This return to nature, paired with the challenges of her health, has profoundly shaped her art, which explores themes of freedom, patience and appreciation for the everyday.

Wood is central to Kyoko’s practice, both as a medium and a muse. “Lately, I’ve been focusing on understanding my materials and experimenting with them,” she explains. Wooden panels and blocks serve as canvases for her vibrant paintings, while wood carving brings Kyoko’s ideas into three-dimensional form. The tactile nature of woodworking—carving, painting and shaping—mirrors her journey toward healing, providing both a literal and metaphorical grounding: “I strongly believe that things take time and you need patience and practice. I love the natural feel of wood and the perfectly imperfect quality of it reflects something very real to me.”