Cloud Stump

For over 15 years, Kyoko Takeshita lived a life in constant motion. But everything changed when she was diagnosed with Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness, a chronic dysfunction of the vestibular system and brain. Suddenly, the bustling cities that once fuelled her creativity became overwhelming and Kyoko found herself returning to the mountains and forests of her hometown of Nanto-shi, Japan. The transition was not easy. Leaving behind her fast-paced lifestyle, she turned to nature, where the slower rhythms provided a new source of inspiration. “The mountain scenery reminds me that I’m just a small part of this vast universe, a creature wandering the earth,” she says. This return to nature, paired with the challenges of her health, has profoundly shaped her art, which explores themes of freedom, patience and appreciation for the everyday.