上原沙也加 Uehara Sayaka
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).
EXHIBITIONS
The Shore Before
Uehara Sayaka
January 31 – February 28, 2026
Green Rooms
Uehara Sayaka
Apr 13 – June 1, 2024
PARADISE OKINAWA
Teruya Yuken, Ishigaki Katsuko, Iha Linda, Uehara Sayaka
Jun 23 – Aug 8, 2022
BIOGRAPHY
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
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