Shakkei: Work by Mayumi Lake and Bob Faust, 2025

2-Person Exhibition
Elmhurst Art Museum
Sep 6–Jan 4, 2026
Photos by Siegfried Mueller and Mayumi Lake  

Shakkei: Work by Mayumi Lake and Bob Faust presents the first major museum exhibition for these two Chicago-based artists whose colorful kaleidoscopic artworks create an immersive optical experience. Featured in separate galleries, recent large-scale work by each artist will transform the space. Lake’s imagery is based on the symbolic floral motifs found in antique Japanese kimonos. Faust’s wallpapers and prints incorporate digital photographs he gathers for each project sourced from the natural surroundings of the location where he is showing the work. Lake and Faust will also collaborate on new work for this exhibition, introduced in the center gallery, combining their love of organic patterning and spatial design.

The exhibition is curated by Liz Chilsen, Manager of Exhibitions & Collections at EAM, and prompts conversations around cultural heritage, language, design, and pattern, addressing both the relatable patterns of everyday life and deeply embedded cultural and social histories.

The Japanese principle of Shakkei (“borrowed scenery”), is a design philosophy that integrates natural landscapes with architectural elements, incorporating existing natural features into architectural designs. The artists interpret the eastern concept broadly as a metaphor for empathy and adaptability, and for the ability to hold multiple viewpoints of “inside” and “outside” simultaneously. Each brings their own perspective to the concept, reflecting their unique experiences and history.

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