DARUMA SERIES

Annual talisman collection (2018-2024)

Daruma is an ongoing body of work exploring the Japanese Daruma, a traditional talisman associated with perseverance, resilience, and the pursuit of goals. From 2018-2024, Ikuta reinterpreted the Daruma in different materials, allowing each version to take on a new symbolic meaning through its physical properties.

Traditionally crafted from papier-mâché, the Daruma represents aspiration and determination. In this work, Ikuta casts the form in mirror-polished stainless steel, transforming an object historically associated with lightness into one of permanence and weight. The material shift becomes a metaphor for the weight of personal ambitions and the commitment required to realize them.

The last Daruma in this series, Memory Daruma is memorabilia for triumphs, failures, and lessons gained. The talisman illuminates when placed near light, acting as a reminder to learn from our past, and use our memories as a guiding star for future ambitions.