Aya, Aya, everywhere

I was down the street, browsing at the newsstand, when I spied a recent issue of Beautiful Decay. My hands shot up toward my face and I actually exclaimed "Oooh!" when I saw that they had Aya Kato's Samurai Girl on the cover.

Among other things related in the interview with her, Kato mentioned that she will have a solo exhibition in Vancouver, British Columbia, in August. Now I just need to find out which gallery...

From a feature in Computer Arts:
"Born in Aichi, Japan, in 1982, Aya Kato learned painting by self-study, and she undertook graphic design study at the Aichi University of Education. She graduated in 2004 and started work as an illustrator in 2005.

"'The picture is a place of meeting for me,' she said. 'I draw inspiration from my Japanese roots and traditions and became interested in the print process having studied the work of Hokusai and the world of ukiyo-e.'

"'For me, the beauty of Japanese art is in its two dimensions -- its deepness and the beauty of the outlines. I often find inspiration from books or poetic language and my pieces extend from there. I like to think the passion I have for my work is expressed through the images I produce and would love to collaborate with people all over the world -- in music, illustration and fashion.'"

One can also read through an exchange between Drakulita and Aya Kato, though you'll have to forgive the former, who refers to Kato as "he" throughout.