Japanese glass artist Kayo Yokoyama is heavily influenced by the landscapes of her home country, as well as her adopted home country of Australia. Kayo emigrated to Australia in 1997 to pursue her dream of studying art; it was this move that inspired her to embrace her inherited culture, after rejecting it as a child in favour of the more dominant Western culture.
Her distinctive etched trees are the main aspect of her intricate glass sculptures, with the overall concept of her works being concerned with a sense of belonging and connections to a lived place. Chairs also feature in her works, connecting the idea of feeling a sense of 'home', and being able to look out and connect with nature on a personal level.
"The trees in my work represent real trees, as well as being symbolic of a higher consciousness in the journey of the growth of my identity. My engraving of trees on the surface of the glass recalls me to a place of strength from inside of me. They suggest a fundamental order of the world and my place in it - my homeland."
Since graduating from Sydney University in 2001, as well as obtaining a Master of Fine Arts in 2012, Kayo has worked tirelessly in perfecting her art and has constantly exhibited throughout Australia.