Artist Support: Kelly Akashi's Journey of Resilience

Kelly Akashi is an artist known for sculpting enduring materials like natural stone, gold, bronze and crystal into original artworks that are powerful reflections on time, change and memory.

After the Los Angeles Eaton Fire destroyed her home and art studio, she began a poignant new chapter of resilience in art. As she rebuilds, her artwork is evolving in new ways—shaped by loss, hope and care from the creative community. For two decades, East West Bank has supported contemporary artists whose work connects ideas, perspectives and people. In a meaningful visit with Kelly after the fires, we spoke with her about the importance of living and creating in Los Angeles, rebuilding plans, her deep appreciation for Agnes Lew and East West Bank’s support for the arts, and how she’s hopeful about LA's future.

Los Angeles as home in the broader art world

You’re a native Angelena. Why has it been important to live and create here?

Los Angeles has a remarkable lineage of artists who are deeply rooted in this place while also shaping global conversations. After studying in Germany in the 2000s, I came to appreciate LA’s unique position in the broader art world. It’s not only an ideal city for making—where materials, labor and challenging ideas are within reach—but it also offers a rare mix of solitude and sociality. There’s space here: physically, emotionally and creatively.

Resilience in art after the Los Angeles fires

What was your creative process like before the Eaton Fire? How has it changed and what is it like now?

Right now, I’m still displaced from both my home and studio. I imagine it will take time to rebuild my material library, my space and my rhythm. It’s possible I won’t fully know how my process has changed until much later.

Your art explores themes of transformation and impermanence. After losing your home and studio in the Eaton Fire, did you find your relationship with those ideas shifting in unexpected ways?

The show I was working on before the fire already revolved around inheritance, impermanence and the natural world. In the aftermath, I found myself returning to the same themes, but with a newly charged history. The content didn’t shift, but the context and urgency around it certainly did.

Many artists rely on their surroundings to inspire their work. How has being uprooted affected your creative process and the materials you work with?

It’s still hard to say. I’m in the early stages of processing the logistical and emotional weight of what happened. Rebuilding has added another job to my life. I’m still trying to re-ground myself. But I’m grateful I could reimagine and open the Frieze Los Angeles exhibition at Lisson Gallery when I did.

Rebuilding after a major loss is both a personal and creative challenge. What has surprised you most about the process of starting over?

The many layers of grief. How non-linear they are. How they can catch you off guard. It’s been humbling to experience its slowness.

The art world and local community have rallied around those impacted by the wildfires. What moments of support or generosity have stood out to you the most?

There have been so many gestures of care, and I’ve been moved by all of them, small and large. When I opened the show, I felt an overwhelming sense of being seen. My community showed up—not just for me, but for one another—and it reminded me why I’ve built my life here. The way the community has responded to the fires has solidified my commitment to Los Angeles and to continuing to make work here.

The art world and East West Bank

How did you choose East West Bank?

Agnes Lew, Managing Director, Head of Private Banking, East West Bank, first visited my studio during Frieze week in 2020 with a group from the Bank. We stayed in touch during the pandemic, and over time, I came to see her as a steady and generous force in the Los Angeles art community. She helped artists and galleries access the Paycheck Protection Program loans when they were needed most—a true advocate behind the scenes. Agnes introduced me to the Bank, and over time, the Bank has supported me through various stages of my career.

As an East West Bank customer, what role has financial stability and institutional support played in helping you regain your footing?

One of the things I’ve appreciated most is how East West Bank supports artists not just as clients, but as members of a larger creative community. Agnes is well-known for inviting groups of artists, collectors, curators, advisors and gallerists to the Hollywood Bowl to enjoy summer concerts. In this way, East West Bank has helped foster connections in moments of joy and offered support in moments of difficulty. That sense of investment—beyond transactions—has made a real difference.

Optimism for the future and hope for Los Angeles

You have a successful art career. What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

Don’t cut corners when it comes to your business. If something is outside your area of expertise, find someone who can help. You don’t have to do everything yourself, and honestly, you shouldn’t.

Also, be kind to yourself. Growth comes from letting yourself learn from your mistakes.

Looking ahead, what excites you most? Are you approaching your work differently now, or are there new projects on the horizon?

Yes, there are some exciting things on the horizon, but I’m not able to share them just yet.

What is something you would love to see for the LA art community?

I feel hopeful about LA's future, but I’d love to see more robust funding for MFA programs, as well as more public conversations that take exhibitions and cultural production seriously. At ArtCenter College of Design, where I teach, we organize thoughtful conversations around practice. I'd love to see more of that citywide.

Kelly Akashi’s new artwork in the East West Bank Collection

In support of Kelly and her art, the Bank has acquired this wonderful new sculpture from Kelly’s 2025 exhibit at Lisson Gallery. Find out more about the East West Bank Collection.

See more of Kelly’s art at Lisson Gallery.