“Living only for the moment, turning our full attention to the pleasures of the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the maples, singing songs, drinking wine and diverting ourselves in just floating, floating; caring not a whit for the poverty staring us in the face, refusing to be disheartened, like a gourd floating along with the river current: this is what we call ukiyo.”
“Through the subtle grace of Japanese art form Ukiyo-e, Ikladi’s work paints a picture of life’s ebb and flow, dancing between the cheerful and the sorrowful. His photographs, inspired by Ukiyo-e, traverse the broad expanse of human experience, subtly blurring the line between reality and fantasy. Just as Ukiyo-e balances sorrow with cheerfulness, Ikladi’s photos encapsulate both the euphoria and melancholy of transient moments. His lens emphasizes the impermanence of existence, echoing Buddhist philosophy and inviting contemplation of the ephemeral world around us. Much like a Kabuki performance, each captured moment in his work is a striking pose in the story of life, a frozen instant radiating emotional resonance. His series of images weave together narratives of the ordinary and the surreal, revealing life’s many hues. In essence, Ikladi’s work is a melancholic symphony, a celebration of the fleeting yet beautiful transience of the Floating World.”