Tenjin Ikeda is an Afro-Puerto Rican artist born and raised in Brooklyn, New York on October 30, 1968. Where at a very young age learned the importance of cultural and spiritual tradition and heritage from his mother. At around 8 years old he taught himself how to draw and was hooked, he has been seriously making art for 30 plus years using the various mediums of painting, sculpture, and printmaking. He attended the School of Visual Arts in New York first focusing on graphic design and ultimately Fine Arts where he felt more freedom to express himself. It was at the Art Students League that he discovered printmaking, which has been his focus for the past 25 years. “It is my desire to continue to visibly show the richness of my ancestry to the world.” He has various works in private collections in the US, Canada, Mexico, Bahamas as well as acquisitions by The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Print Club of Albany, and the Art Student’s League. Tenjin’s work has been featured as cover art and illustrations for various books. He has been included in “Modern Printmaking” a book of 30 contemporary printmakers by Sylvie Covey, and Botanical Block Printing by Rosanna Morris.

Tenjin, also worked for 6 years as an artist assistant to Richard Artschwager and with artist Keith Haring on a mural project Mr. Haring did at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. He has participated in-group shows in different parts of the United States, Ireland, Japan, Spain, Australia, Puerto Rico and Estonia.