Ikeda's work focuses on the relationship between environment, psychology and philosophy. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Hokkaido University and a master's degree from the Institute of Plastic Arts, Musashino Art University, Tokyo. He is currently a professor at Kyoto University of the Arts (Kyoto University of the Arts & Design). Originated from a traditional temple abbot family in Hokkaido, Ikeda manages to become one of the few artists who have been favored by both official and private organizations. His works have been collected by UBS Art Bank, Toyota Motor, Japan Life Insurance, Tokyo Station and other domestic and foreign organizations. Ikeda is enthusiastic in studying the complex structure of traditional architecture. His works are mostly the forgotten corners that represent the societal and natural landscapes of different times. In 2014, he took a eight months-journey in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia to experience the local culture and customs. During the journey, he encountered the homeless people from all over the world and thus realized that the world has poverty and weakness that he can't imagine, accompanied by a his exhibition at Thalie Art Foundation exhibition in Belgium. Ikeda's artistic creation derives form his experience of the external world, particularly the familiar objects seen on his ongoing journey, such as the abandoned old buildings, discarded products, scattered wood and damaged spaces. The artist manages to rebuild a new field between the past and the present, on which his criticism and reflection on the contemporary consumerism society unfold.
