Sayaka Uehara

Born in 1993 in Okinawa, lives and works in Okinawa. Uehara creates photographic works as a practice of capturing memories and scars that emerge within landscapes, tracing the layered passage of time embedded in places and objects. In 2020, “The Others” won the New Photography Award at the 36th Higashikawa Awards, Japan. “Haunted Gardens” was awarded the Encouragement Prize and the Ohara Museum of Art Prize at the VOCA (The Vision of Contemporary Art) 2024. Her photo book “Sleeping Trees” was published in 2022 from the AKAAKA Art Publishing Inc., Japan. Her major solo exhibitions include “The Others” at Canon Open Gallery 1 (Tokyo, 2019), “The Others” at INTERFACE – Shomei Tomatsu Lab. (Okinawa, 2019), “Green Rooms” at MISA SHIN GALLERY (Tokyo, 2024), “Green Rooms, Peace Island” at Art Gallery Atos (Okinawa, 2025), and “Even If All the Ruins Were Swept Away without a Trace” at Yokohama Civic Art Gallery Azamino (Kanagawa, 2026).

Major group exhibitions include “PARADISE OKINAWA” MISA SHIN GALLERY (Tokyo, 2022). “VOCA Exhibition 2024” at The Ueno Royal Museum (Tokyo, 2024), and “MOT’s 30th Anniversary Exhibition: Choreographies of the Everyday” at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (Tokyo, 2025).

Born in Okinawa, Japan in 1993

Lives and works in Okinawa

Education

2016 Tokyo Zokei University, Tokyo, Japan

Solo Exhibitions

2026

The Shore Before, MISA SHIN GALLERY, Tokyo

Even If All the Ruins Were Swept Away without a Trace, Yokohama Civic Art Gallery

Azamino, Kanagawa

2025

in the white season, Sugarcane Room gallery+cafe, Okinawa

Green Rooms : Island of Peace, Art Gallery Atos, Okinawa

2024

Green Days, Kanzan Gallery, Tokyo

Green Rooms, MISA SHIN GALLERY, Tokyo

2022

Sleeping Trees, Nikon Salon, Tokyo; Foto Space Reago, Okinawa

2021

The Others 2020-2021, IG Photo Gallery, Tokyo

2019

The Others, Canon Open Gallery 1, Tokyo; INTERFACE – Shomei Tomatsu Lab., Okinawa

Selected Group Exhibitions

2025

MOT’s 30th Anniversary Exhibition: Choreographies of the Everyday, Museum of

Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo

2024

VOCA Exhibition 2024, The Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo

T3 PHOTO FESTIVAL TOKYO NEW JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY 1974 → 2024, Shoei Building, Tokyo

2022

PARADISE OKINAWA, MISA SHIN GALLERY, Tokyo

Awards

2024

The Encouragement Prize and the Ohara Museum of Art Prize, VOCA (The Vision of Contemporary Art) 2024

2020

New Photographer Awards, The 36th Higashikawa Awards

Public Collection

The National Museum of Art, Osaka

The Ohara Museum of Art, Okayama

Higashikawa Town, Hokkaido

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo

Marukawa Collection