Japanese icon Yoko Ono is a multimedia artist and human rights activist. She’s written songs, books, and poetry; directed films and exhibitions; spearheaded massive protests and not-for-profits; all the while reminding women and men alike that a life without love is not a life worth living.

As a child, Yoko was very sensitive to light and sound. She discovered matches as a means for self-soothing and would strike matchstick after matchstick watching the flame extinguish in a dark room. The repetition of the light and sound associated with this simple act gave her a sense of relief—one that she would often share with her sister, continuously lighting matches until she calmed down. Eventually, this personal ritual became a performance piece called Lighting, which was recorded with the collective Fluxus in 1955.