This show is Stephanie Inagaki’s debut feature show at Talon Gallery. The works, created using charcoal and wash paper, are inspired by the mythology and folklore of her Japanese heritage. Inagaki has created her own visual narrative to symbolize these creatures as familiars. Familiars represent an essential aspect of who we are. They protect us and give us strength as they accompany us on our own personal journey. Sometimes they can be mischievous too. Throughout history, the creatures that Inagaki has portrayed have all had mystical qualities from shapeshifting, guiding the gods, even sometimes adopting the role of gods themselves.
Inagaki has woven together various characters from Japanese culture and traditional mythology to tell a visual story about grief, metamorphosis, sacrifice and love.