Who we are
B E Y O N D T H E L I G H T
Welcome to A K A R I atmospheric design house— where the architecture of nature meets the discipline of high design.
Founded by MaryEllen Curran, A K A R I is the culmination of a life dedicated to capturing and creating space, atmosphere, and uncompromised luxury. Our philosophy is simple: we bring the restorative, silent energy of the natural world to life across interior environments seamlessly blurring the lines of architectural design.
Our Heritage: Fine Art Infrared Photography to Master Design
A K A R I was born at the intersection of ethereal fine art and spatial design. MaryEllen mastered the exact standards required to elevate an environment’s sensory balance, understanding that a truly transformative space requires more than decor—it requires an immersive feeling.
A K A R I is guided by a rare, disciplined lineage of creative and botanical mastery:
Architectural Equanimity: Her relationship with nature’s structural truths was forged through study under legendary Master Japanese Garden architect Hoichi Kurisu—designer of the world-renowned Portland Japanese Gardens. Rooted in deep reverence, her expertise led to an invitation to lecture at the prestigious Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens before an audience of Japanese Masters and curatorial leaders. MaryEllen’s work capturing Japanese Gardens in infrared light led to a profound awareness of this invisible world.
Ethereal & Structural Mastery:
Through winning the Women’s Works Scholarship to study in Portland, Maine, with the world-renowned fine art photographer Joyce Tenneson, whose iconic work relied on meticulously controlled indoor lighting. This immersion clarified MaryEllen’s own path. Rather than controlling light in a studio, she chose to follow it into nature. Brushing aside early criticism of infrared film as a gimmick, she dedicated her life to capturing the raw, spontaneous light codes of the invisible, natural world.
MaryEllen’s unwavering artistic conviction was deeply ignited by a legendary predecessor. While experiencing the profound exhibition of 19th- century photographer pioneer, Julia Margaret Cameron at the Art Institute of Chicago, MaryEllen was moved to tears. In Cameron’s evocative, dream like images, she recognized a kindred spirit - a muse who also looked past rigid technical conventions to capture the transcendent essence of a subject. Much like Cameron before her, MaryEllen creates not for the fleeting present, but for those who will look upon her work with the invisible light one hundred years from now.
This century-long vision culminates in A K A R I, where her thirty-three years of pioneering infrared photography and extensive archival work intersect with spatial design. Through this legacy, MaryEllen continues to decode and preserve the earth’s unseen, sacred energies for generations to come.
The Evolution of the Sanctuary to a Design House
For years, MaryEllen’s creative vision was anchored in aquaculture and the element of water—celebrated for creating and documenting the profound, vibrant energy of a renowned Koi sanctuary. Today, that exact same devotion to nature’s deep design has naturally expanded from river and koi pond waters to the pure, brilliant water here on Geneva Lake. MaryEllen has taken the structural design principles and the deep respect for nature's energy and light developed throughout her life and applies them beautifully to her work.
What We Create
Operating on a frequency where fine art photography and living materials intertwine, A K A R I designs bespoke atmospheric experiences for luxury resorts, boutique spas, and private fine art collectors:
Bespoke Botanical Installations: From plant and moss structures to wrapped, distinct floral presentations to dramatic, hanging glass root and tube installations.
Atmospheric Fine Art: High-contrast, monochromatic, and vivid fine art infrared prints that capture the invisible, architectural truths of nature. Three decades of analog infrared experimentation.
The Boundless Future: Our ultimate journey is rooted in her ancestors’ earth, the Curran legacy, building toward the future fields of our signature Irish Moss Farm.
A K A R I
P.O. Box 333
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 53147
email: M@akari.house
630.631.9566
Step into the invisible spectrum—thirty-three years of high-contrast, monochromatic, and ethereal fine art infrared photography by MaryEllen Malinowski Curran.
infraredlight.com
Atmospheric & Infrared Light Studies
"Whether documenting the vibrant, unseen energy of global landscapes or revealing the hidden spectrum through infrared photography, this work captures light, air, and subtle atmospheric vibrations beyond ordinary perception."
maryellencurran.com
Our Infrared Photography is a US Trademark registered copyright for The Infrared Light Gallery®, by MaryEllen Malinowski Curran.
