Makiko Horiuchi (born in Kanagawa, Japan) graduated from the Sculpture Department at Tokyo University of the Arts and completed her MFA at the same institution. Currently based in Ibaraki, she develops a multidisciplinary practice that spans collage, sculpture, stone works, and performance. Drawing inspiration from the concept of marebito in Japanese folklore, as well as tokusatsu films and anime culture, her work explores encounters with the “other” or the unfamiliar within everyday life. These moments of intrusion blur the boundary between reality and unreality over time, prompting viewers to reconsider their perceptions and definitions of the world. Her works embody a coexistence of opposing sensations—cuteness and humor alongside eeriness and tension. Forms reminiscent of theatrical masks or elusive figures emerge with both familiarity and unease, shifting their meaning through the viewer’s engagement. For Horiuchi, the “other” is not something distant, but something embedded within society, others, and oneself. By capturing the tension and instability that arise from such encounters, her work questions fixed values and notions of normality, opening up possibilities for new perspectives and relationships. In recent years, she has presented her work through solo and group exhibitions as well as art fairs.