I believe in the power of beauty. I believe in the power of stories.
Beautiful stories are everywhere, and I share these stories in my art.
Stories of resistance, stories of hope, stories of despair, stories of foreign lands, and stories from my lived experiences all matter because they are never just my story. I carry the stories of my ancestors, the stories of my friends, and the stories of my collaborators.
My art captures a beautiful blending of cultures, dreams, memories, and hopes for everyone who does not fit into the mold prescribed to them.
-Ayako Pederson-Takeda, April 2025