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SAKI SONODA

🎨 Artist

Statement

Saki Sonoda’s current work delves into beings once believed to exist on the fringe of pre-modern society, particularly during moments of festivity, interpreted through traditional Japanese perspectives and religious sensitivities. This exploration unfolds in two distinct yet connected projects. Through these, Saki bridges the worlds of folklore and modern urban life, inviting viewers to reflect on identity, emotion, and shared human experiences.

Greenroom is a series of oil paintings that uncover the hidden backstage world of New York’s nightlife performers—dancers, drag queens, and circus artists—capturing their moments of transformation before stepping into the spotlight. These works highlight the fluidity of identity and the unseen labor that powers the city’s cultural heartbeat. On stage, performers are celebrated as larger-than-life figures, commodified for entertainment; behind the scenes, they reveal stories of resilience, creativity, and activism. Through vibrant strokes and expressive colors, Saki depicts these private moments where identities are crafted and new cultural expressions are born, exploring the intersection of public performance and personal reality.

The Mononoke installation reimagines ancient Japanese folklore, bringing these enigmatic beings into the present as glowing 3D forms that symbolize invisible emotions and shared stories. Historically, Mononoke were perceived as external forces influencing human emotions and events, representing a worldview where the self was not entirely in control. This perspective contrasts with modern notions of personal autonomy. By visualizing these beings through dynamic lighting, the installation invites viewers to engage with their own emotional landscapes, fostering introspection and connection.

By materializing the unseen, Saki Sonoda aims to highlight the complexities of identity and human experience. Her work bridges past and present, tradition and innovation, and public and private realms. In doing so, she encourages viewers to find connections between themselves and the world around them, fostering a deeper understanding of the emotions, stories, and transformations that define human existence.

Biography

Born in Japan and currently based in Brooklyn, Saki is an artist whose work seamlessly integrates cultural influences, drawing from an MFA in Western art from Joshibi University of Art and Design, along with a deep appreciation for both traditional and modern Japanese pop culture.

Her artistic practice encompasses painting, printmaking, and mixed media, with a history of participation in numerous group exhibitions, including notable shows at two public museums: the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts in Japan and the Ningbo Museum of Art in China. Saki was also awarded a scholarship and residence by the Omura Foundation to study in Milan, where one of her pieces was acquired by the university and is now part of its permanent collection.

Before relocating to New York in 2016, Saki worked extensively in commercial art, designing stage sets and decor for high-profile events, including a promotion event for Lionsgate in Tokyo.

Since moving to New York, she continued to expand her practice, focusing on installations and earning multiple grants, including one from Burning Man and its communities.

Selected Exhibitions and Awards

  • 2008 Group Exhibition (Kanagawa, Japan)
  • 2008 Group Exhibition “Art Exhibition Fostered by Citizens” (Kanagawa, Japan)
  • 2008 Group Exhibition “Yokohama Rose Exhibition 2008: 13 new female artists” (Kanagawa, Japan)
  • 2008 Group Exhibition (Kanagawa, Japan)
  • 2009 Recipient of the Fumiko Omura Foundation Joshibi Milano Award in 2009 for a study abroad program in Italy
  • 2009 Group Exhibition “visual exhibition” (Kanagawa, Japan)
  • 2009 Group Exhibition (Kanagawa, Japan)
  • 2009 Group Exhibition “Yokohama’s future community” (Kanagawa, Japan)
  • 2009 Participated in the National University Print Exhibition at Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts (Tokyo, Japan)
  • 2010 Graduated from Joshibi University of Art and Design, having a work acquired by the university’s collection
  • 2011 Group Exhibition in gsgp Joshibi university art center (Kanagawa, Japan)
  • 2011 Group Exhibition (Tokyo, Japan)
  • 2011 Group Exhibition “Contemporary Japanese Artists Exhibition” in Ningbo Museum of Art (Zhejiang, China)
  • 2012 Group Exhibition (Tokyo, Japan)
  • 2012 Group Exhibition (Tokyo, Japan)
  • 2012 Master of Fine Arts (Printmaking Major), JOSHIBI UNIBERSITY OF ART AND DESIGN
  • 2015 Burning Man Art Grant for the Carnival of Mirrors Midway
  • 2017 POrtal Burn Art Grant
  • 2018 Kostume Kult Frontage at Burning Man
  • 2019 Kostume Kult Frontage at Burning Man
  • 2021 POrtal Burn Art Grant
  • 2022 Transformus Art Grant
  • 2022 NECTR Art Grant
  • 2022 Works exhibited at City of Gods (New York, USA)
  • 2024 “Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow & Blue?” curated by Ellen Hackle Fagan at LiC-A (New York, USA)
  • 2024 "Greenroom – A Solo Exhibition by Saki Sonoda" at House of Yes (New York, USA)
  • 2024 "Offering" at The Ritual Division (New York, USA)
  • 2024 "Art Bath" at Blue Building (New York, USA)

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