Launch Gallery is proud to present two solo exhibitions exploring the beauty, complexity and fragility of our natural world. Hiroko Yoshimoto and Yumiko Glover use their observational tools and personal perspectives to document nature’s current challenges while celebrating its vitality.

In her new painting series Evanescent echoes, Yumiko Glover explores the beauty of nature through a transitory, cross-cultural lens of Japanese history and philosophy mixed with contemporary influences of her Southern California home. In this new series of paintings, she is tethered to her past by the calm and orderly aesthetics of Japanese gardens employing traditional elements of the bonsai tree, koi fish and rocks. Abstract forms, contemporary colors and technological ques now permeate these reconstructed dreams and recollections presenting an inspiring and satisfying hybrid.

Zen philosophy, particularly the ideas of impermanence and interconnectedness, plays a key role in this work. The precise shapes of bonsai, the fluidity of koi, and the structured garden landscapes evoke the subtle transformations of the natural world. These images become metaphors for change, illustrating how our relationship with nature is always evolving.

Evanescent echoes encourages viewers to engage with the present moment, where tranquility and the vibrant energy of contemporary life intersect. Through these works, I invite you to reflect on the beauty of life’s impermanent and imperfect moments, viewing them not as loss, but as a source of energy and vitality.

Yumiko Glover’s artwork is inspired by her cross-cultural experiences, drawing from the history and philosophy of Japan with the contemporary influences of life in the U.S. Her work is part of the Honolulu Museum of Art’s collection and has been featured in public venues such as Los Angeles International Airport, the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, the Torrance Art Museum, and in the United Nations' 2021 anniversary publication. Recently, Glover completed a mural project in New York City and held solo exhibitions at the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Diego, Washington Studio School in Washington, D.C., and Bakersfield Community College. Originally from Japan, she holds a BFA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and an MFA from UC Santa Barbara. Glover is currently based in Los Angeles, CA, and teaches art courses at UC Santa Barbara.