How would Gauguin be remembered if he hadn't chanced upon the lurid earthiness of Tahiti and its women? Would Van Gogh have made the same impact without sunflowers and cornfields to unleash his frenzy for yellow? After mastering the basics of their craft, the next important thing for painters is to find the perfect subject matter for their brush.

In the case of Chikako Ikeguchi, enjoying a retrospective of her art at Tokyo's Shoto Museum, the important moment came during a 1987 tour of the western part of the North American continent with her husband, a famous economist, ex-government minister, and writer, widely known in Japan by his pen name Taichi Sakaiya.

Having fallen asleep on a coach traveling across the flatlands of the Canadian province of Alberta, Ikeguchi woke up during a refueling stop and looked out the window. There she saw a railway freight station surrounded by giant grain silos, presenting her with unusual shapes and colors.