Opening Reception for Neko of the Floating World: Holly Granken

Exhibition runs from August 7 - November 22, 2025

Opening Reception: August 7, 2025 at Dundas Place Field House, 179 Dundas St, London, ON

The Artist will be present.

This event is part of Art Crawl Thursdays

About the Artist

Holly Granken is a multi-disciplinary artist living in London, Ontario.  She is an alum of the BealArt Program and holds an honour degree in Studio Art and Art History from Western University.  While her artistic inspiration comes from a number of sources; nature, animals, tattoos, and vintage designs, chief among them is her interest in Japanese art and culture and in March of 2024, she participated in her first artist's residency for one month at Studio Kura in Fukuoka, Japan.  

About the Work

I have been an animal lover my whole life, and have been studying Japanese culture and language since my early twenties, so it was only natural that these two important features in my life eventually came together. Japanese art, specifically, ukiyo-e, is the genre my work is based on. The literal translation of the word, "ukiyo-e" means " pictures (e) of the floating world (ukiyo)". In Buddhism, "ukiyo" refers to the world we live in where everything is fleeting and temporary. Rather than focus on the pleasures of a transient world, one should concentrate on lasting spiritual matters..

My versions of ukiyo-e are not created traditionally by either the process of woodblock printing or drawing on paper, but are hand-drawn digitally. This method allows not only for speed, but I am able to adhere to a traditional colour palette of ukiyo-e. 

After all that, it comes down to this; I love Japan, I love cats. Japan is this mix of chaos, peace, tradition, and modernity. It is by no means perfect or magical, but every time l'm there, it just feels right. Cats are awesome. Making them part of my art is the least I can do to pay back some of the joy these furry little maniacs have brought into my life.