Akiko Yamashita is a Japanese immersive artist based in Los Angeles. Her practice is driven by a sense of wonder toward nature and a playful curiosity that bridges observation, experimentation, and imagination.

Growing up in Hokkaido, Japan, she was deeply influenced by her grandfather, Saburo Higashi, a pioneering forest researcher and professor at Hokkaido University. Through childhood conversations, experiments, and tree-planting experiences with him, she developed a fascination with the complex relationships between nature, time, and space. His imaginative approach to understanding the natural world helped shape her own curiosity and way of seeing.

Through light, color, animation, and space, Yamashita transforms her observations and discoveries into immersive experiences that invite viewers to see the natural world anew. Her works include Hana Fubuki at ARTECHOUSE, an interactive installation revealing the invisible movement of wind through cherry blossoms; Perfectly Imperfect, an anamorphic projection across living trees; and Supersymmetry at the Exploratorium, an exploration of optics, reflection, and color. Her practice also extends to permanent architectural installations, including Hikari 10 in Los Angeles.

Her work has been presented internationally through exhibitions, public art commissions, and light and media art festivals including MUTEK, INTERVALS, IGNITE Broward, and LUMINEX.