Yukiko was born and grew up in Osaka, Japan, but has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada since 1976. She has been surrounded by art for most of her life. Her grandmother was a master of the tea ceremony and of flower arrangements, and one of her aunts is an accomplished painter in Japan. Yukiko’s early training was as a painter, her long association with the Canadian artist Toni Onley, both during and after their marriage, has been a significant influence on her work. In 1989, painting led her to photography.

Self-taught, Yukiko has become one of the finest portrait photographers on the West Coast. Her approach to her subject is intuitive and spontaneous. Her portraits are elegant, sophisticated, and timeless. She has been working on the project photographing creative people in British Colombia.

Besides visual art, Yukiko is interested in a wide range of music, dance and theatre productions. In 2005, she has co-published “Elegy”, a collection of poems and photographs with a Governor General Award winning poet E.D. Blodgett.

There have been numerous exhibitions of Yukiko’s work. Besides being an active photographer, she owns and runs VISUALSPACE Gallery in Vancouver.

www.yukikoonley.com

www.visualspace.ca