Akiko Taniguchi

Occurrence on the Surface, 2006

Back in 2004, when Matt and I both used to work in Pioneer Square in Seattle, we made it a habit to explore the numerous art galleries in the area after a quick lunch. Our favorite was Davidson Galleries. A few months before our August wedding, we came across the work of print artist Akiko Taniguchi while on one of said walks. We promptly fell in love with it and promised to "think about it", then proceeded to forget about it, or at least I did. When two weeks before the wedding Matt boasted of having the perfect present for me, I wracked my brains for what he could have found that would have him feeling so confident. With a sneaking suspicion, I walked to Davidson at lunchtime. I saw Cara (now the Director of Contemporary Prints at the gallery) marched over and started: "I don't know if you remember me but...". The guilty expression on her face said it all. I just told her I was going to pick out another print and that she need not betray my fiance's confidence. I just wanted her to to steer me in another direction if I happened to select the same one as him. She nodded reluctantly with her eyes locked on the floor. I didn't mind knowing, but found it rather funny instead. It wasn't her fault I know my husband so well.

This is the piece he got for me. It's an etching and collagraph called Mother Earth from an edition of 20. It reminded me of mitosis when I first saw it.


The piece I gifted Matt is Universe (or the Orange as we normally call it). It uses the same media and is also from an edition of 20.


Akiko uses quite a few different printing techniques, sometimes up to four on the same print. Aside from collagraph and etching, she also uses mezzotint, chine colle, dry point, and lithography, among others. Her editions are fairly small, from 10 to 30 prints. Her print sizes also range from about 4" x 4" to 24" x 36". Akiko doesn't seem to have a website but her work can be seen on quite a few online galleries, Davidson being one of the best. They have quite a selection of her work, ranging in price from $150 to $1000. Other galleries carrying her work are the LeVall Art Gallery in Novosibirsk, Russia, the Herringer Kiss Gallery in Calgary, and the Scott Gallery in Edmonton, Alberta where she currently resides.

Satellite, 2000