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Bio

Sao Tanaka

Sao Tanaka is a multimedia artist based in Tokyo and New

York City whworks with paintin photography, video, and

installatio.She has had exhibitions of her work in Japan,

Korea, and, more recently, the United States. Tanak studied

traditionalJapanese painting at Tam Arts University, Tokyo,

with a BFA in Japanese painting (Nihonga) in 2014. She

earned an MA in sociology from Hitotsubash University,Tokyo,

in 2017. Whilethere, Tanaka researched the concepts in

creation of "tradition" and "modernity," like a two side of the

same coin, specifically how the concept and identity of the

"traditional Japanese painting" were created in a system of

modern nation. This lead to an ongoing interest in

photography and how relics of the past affect our present.

Since 2020, Tanaka has been a student at the School of Visual

Art's Master of Professional Studies in Digital Photography

program.

Education

2021 MPS Digital Photography,

School of Visual Arts, New York

2017 MA Sociology,

Graduate school of Social Sciences,

Institute for the Study of Global Issues,

Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo

2014 BFA Painting,

Department of Painting Japanese Painting course,

Tama Art University, Tokyo

Exhibition

2021 Group exhibition “Within Sight”, Mizuma

&Kips Galley, New York, USA

2020 ASYAAF 2020, Overseas Artists Section,

presented by Gallery LVS, Seoul, Korea

2019 “SHIBUYA AWARD 2019 selected

exhibition”, Space 428,Tokyo, Japan. “SHIBUYA

AWARD 2019 Award exhibition”, Bunkamura

Gallery,Tokyo, Japan

2018 “Open Call for Art Project Ideas 2018

winning selection exhibition”, Hiroshima City

Museum of Contemporary Art , Hiroshima, Japan

2014 “Fifteenth Tokyo Fifth Art University College

Graduation and Completion Production

Exhibition”, National Art Centre, Tokyo, Japan

2014 “Graduation production volunteer

exhibition”,Bank ART Studio NYK, Kanagawa,

Japan

2013 Exchange exhibition between Tama Art

University and the University of Sylapakorn in

Thailand “ON PAPER”, Tama Art University

Library Arcade gallery,Tokyo, Japan

2005 “The 5th 21st. Century Asia Design

Competition Exhibition of the Prize Winners”

D’s Gallery ,Kyoto, Japan/ Marunouchi Building,

Tokyo, Japan

Comission Work

2020 Mitsui Garden Hotel Roppongi

Tokyo Premier BALCON TOKYO,Tokyo, Japan

Award

2019

Hiraizumi curator Jury Prize, SHIBUYA ART

AWARDS 2019, (Hosted by SHIBUYA AWARDS

ASSOCIATION in Tokyo )

2019

MFA Fine Arts Scholarship, School of Visual Arts

in New York

2018

Winning Selection Hiroshima City Museum of

Contemporary Art “Open Call for Art Project

Ideas 2018” (Hosted by Hiroshima City Museum

of Contemporary Art in Hiroshima.)

2005

Grand Prize The 5th 21 Century Asia Design

Competition (Hosted by Kyoto University of Art in

Kyoto)

2004

Winning Selection The 4th 21 Century Asia

Design Competition (Hosted by Kyoto University

of Art in Kyoto)