Sachiko Akiyama's dreamlike wood carvings debut in new solo survey at Center for Maine Contemporary Art

Sachiko Akiyama lives surrounded by water at the juncture of three rivers and the Atlantic Ocean. In her work, the ocean functions like a dream stage, a space rich with metaphor and symbolism. Mimicking this oceanic surround, the exhibition’s darkened walls help us leave the everyday and enter a world where invented allegories play out, both deeply personal and universally resonant. Akiyama juxtaposes simplified landscape elements with human and animal forms in carved wood and cast resin supplemented by welded metal and golden threads. A female form reappears in each of five sculptures, her body shifting position to interact with clouds, waves, trees, and mountains. This movement, along with scale shifts and the presence of a boat-like form, suggests that the figure is passing through stages of a journey. A central floor sculpture features