Shakkei: Work by Mayumi Lake and Bob Faust

Shakkei: Work by Mayumi Lake and Bob Faust marks the first major museum exhibition for Chicago-based artists Mayumi Lake and Bob Faust. Presented both independently and in collaboration, their work occupies the museum’s main galleries and the historic Mies van der Rohe–designed McCormick House on the museum’s campus. Featuring both new site-responsive installations alongside recent pieces, the exhibition invites viewers into a layered exploration of pattern, place, and cultural memory.

Drawing from their shared interest in organic patterning and spatial design, the artists engage with the Japanese design principle of shakkei—“borrowed scenery”—to explore harmony between built environments and the natural world, resonating with Mies van der Rohe’s architectural emphasis on integrating interior space with the surrounding landscape.

Shakkei prompts conversations around cultural heritage, language, and design. Through richly patterned visual language and nuanced installations, Lake and Faust examine the patterns of daily life and the deeper cultural and social histories embedded within them.

Interpreted metaphorically, shakkei becomes a lens for empathy, adaptability, and holding multiple perspectives. The exhibition reflects a deeply personal engagement with identity, history, and the transformative possibilities of shared visual experience.

Curated by Liz Chilsen, Manager of Exhibitions & Collections at the Elmhurst Art Museum.