Akiko Yamashita is a Los Angeles-based, Japanese artist. Yamashita is known for immersive installations using light, projection mapping, and real-time 3D animation to transform our perception with her prism-inspired full spectrum of colors. As an artist, she visualizes “invisible existences” in nature. Her work references and is drawn from Japanese animism, where every existence has a spirit or a soul. As a former dancer who became an animator, she welcomes viewers to fully immerse themselves interacting with the artworks to feel like the subject matter.  Her work Hana Fubuki (2019), exhibited at Artechouse, is one example as it turned viewers’ hand movement to wind which spread and manipulated the cherry blossom blizzards. Yamashita also creates architectural public art light installations such as her interactive hallway Portal (2015) in Downtown Los Angeles in the Little Tokyo neighborhood. Yamashita’s awards and recognition include the A’Design Silver Awards, featured in Apple keynote’s films as one of the best new generation creators and more.