Overview
My initial interest in Shunga sprouted out of the criticism from my academics at university that my work was 'too safe' and 'too cute'. In response to this I gave them pornography. What started as a practice more concerned with show and shock factor however quickly turned into my passion.

b. 1993, Christchurch, New Zealand
Lives and works in Perth, Australia

Over the past decade, Aiko Robinson has developed an image-making practice that delicately balances historic influences with a contemporary aesthetic, creating work that is both richly nuanced and visually fresh. Of Japanese-New Zealand heritage, Robinson has developed a practice that draws on traditional printmaking and ink on paper techniques. The studied craftsmanship of her work is immediately evident, effortlessly invoking Japanese ukiyo-e art through fastidious detail and precisely structured compositions.

Robinson’s work conceptually engages with shunga, a form of Japanese erotic art that was prevalent from the 1600s through to the 1800s. She creates images that are playfully explicit, balancing the provocative with the everyday, the romantic with the humorous. The artist states, “My initial interest in Shunga sprouted out of the criticism from my academics at university that my work was ‘too safe’ and ‘too cute’. In response to this I gave them pornography. What started as a practice more concerned with show and shock factor however quickly turned into my passion. Historical Shunga reflects the acceptance or celebration of sex in Shinto culture, and values love, mutual pleasure, and equality between sexual partners. Shunga, which literally translates to ‘spring pictures’ is also positively associated with the season of fertility and new life. I am interested in how these idealised visions of the Shunga artist might compare to prevailing ideas regarding pornography in contemporary society.”

Robinson also cites the work of Aubrey Beardsley as an influence. Beardsley was a British illustrator who worked in Paris in the late 1800s, and his work drew from Japanese woodblock printing, bringing aspects of that tradition into a Western context. Robinson responds to such historic sources, creating contemporary artworks that are visually rich and sensual, navigating themes of intimacy, consent, gender, and sexual politics. Though engaged with the erotic, they are more titillating than explicit. Within her practice, Robinson presents a sophisticated artistic vision. She skilfully balances technical precision with cross-medium innovation, explicit content with a mirthful sense of style.

Robinson graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts with an Honours degree in 2014, and in 2020 completed a two-year Masters of Printmaking scholarship from the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan. She has exhibited consistently in solo and group exhibitions throughout New Zealand and in Japan.

Gow Langsford Gallery has represented Aiko Robinson since 2023.

Works
  • Aiko Robinson, Between the blend of blossoming hues, 2024
    Between the blend of blossoming hues, 2024
  • Aiko Robinson, I lose myself in this night's dream, 2024
    I lose myself in this night's dream, 2024
  • Aiko Robinson, I reach for you as we gaze upon long rains falling, 2024
    I reach for you as we gaze upon long rains falling, 2024
  • Aiko Robinson, Only the mandarin lights hear our intimate whispers, 2024
    Only the mandarin lights hear our intimate whispers, 2024
  • Aiko Robinson, Spring Picture #1, 2024
    Spring Picture #1, 2024NZD 1,150.00
  • Aiko Robinson, Spring Picture #2, 2024
    Spring Picture #2, 2024NZD 950.00
  • Aiko Robinson, Spring Picture #3, 2024
    Spring Picture #3, 2024NZD 950.00
  • Aiko Robinson, The passion of the red camellia is a flame that never ceases, 2024
    The passion of the red camellia is a flame that never ceases, 2024
  • Aiko Robinson, As evening draws on, and I gaze on long rains falling, 2023
    As evening draws on, and I gaze on long rains falling, 2023
  • Aiko Robinson, By the light of the midnight moon 1, 2023
    By the light of the midnight moon 1, 2023
  • Aiko Robinson, By the light of the midnight moon 2, 2023
    By the light of the midnight moon 2, 2023
  • Aiko Robinson, By the light of the midnight moon 3, 2023
    By the light of the midnight moon 3, 2023
  • Aiko Robinson, Hidden from all but the moon, 2023
    Hidden from all but the moon, 2023
  • Aiko Robinson, Under the Shade of the Trees, 2023
    Under the Shade of the Trees, 2023
  • Aiko Robinson, Aiaigasa, 2021
    Aiaigasa, 2021
  • Aiko Robinson, Climb, 2020
    Climb, 2020
  • Aiko Robinson, Pillow Picture #2, 2020
    Pillow Picture #2, 2020
  • Aiko Robinson, Pillow Picture #3, 2020
    Pillow Picture #3, 2020
  • Aiko Robinson, Pillow Picture #4, 2020
    Pillow Picture #4, 2020
  • Aiko Robinson, Untitled, 2020
    Untitled, 2020
  • Aiko Robinson, Untitled, 2020
    Untitled, 2020
  • Aiko Robinson, Untitled, 2019
    Untitled, 2019
  • Aiko Robinson, Hidden Whispers, 2018
    Hidden Whispers, 2018
  • Aiko Robinson, Like the dew that settles on the pine leaves, 2017
    Like the dew that settles on the pine leaves, 2017
  • Aiko Robinson, Losing My Mind, 2014
    Losing My Mind, 2014
  • Aiko Robinson, Love is blind, 2014
    Love is blind, 2014
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