Born in 1960, Akita, Japan. Konoike graduated from the Japanese Arts department of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. After graduation, she entered a toy company and got herself involved in the planning and project team for inventing new toys to sell into the market. Konoike's igures with doll-like facial expressions may be seen as a deriva- tion of her career as a member of this team. Konoike demands viewers to experience the work with all his/ her senses. The pellucidity that allow nothing near, or the distance of tangible things are what Konoike per- ceives as beautiful. Knives, wolves or snow are some of her dominant motifs that embody this versatility. Her works have been shown in solo exhibitions "The planet is covered by silvery sleep" (2006, Tokyo); "Chapter#0" (2006, Okayama); "Emergency Land- ing in Mimio" (2005, Tokyo); "Outside Over There" (2002, Tokyo); and group shows in "Beautiful New World – Contemporary Visual Culture from Japan" (2007, China); "The Geopolitics of Animation" (2007, Spain); "Rapt! - 20 Contemporary Artists from Ja- pan" (2006, Australia).