Anri Okada (Saitama, 1989) is a Japanese artist based in Mexico City. She works mainly in painting, mural, and ceramics. A dedicated traveler, she takes inspiration from the myths, traditions and everyday life of the places she visits and interprets them in her idiosyncratic style that blends reality with illusion and modernity with the primitive. She holds a graduate degree in Mural from Tokyo University of the Arts, where she was a fellow of the Ishibashi Foundation Annual International Exchange for students of oil painting. Her investigation in Mexico has received support from Pola Art Foundation and Yoshino Gypsum Art Foundation for the formation of young artists abroad. Her work has been exhibited internationally in institutions such as Pola Museum of Art, Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, the Ichihara ArtxMix 2020+. Triennial and Art Fair Tokyo. Since 2014, she has carried out the mural project Hekikakikaku in elementary schools throughout Asia and Latin America.
Photo / Polo & Storch
Education
2019-20 Enrolled Doctoral Course at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
2016-17 Enrolled in Instituto Artes Plásticas in Universidad Veracruzana
2014-15 Taller Rufino Tamayo Oaxaca, Mexico（Ishibashi Foundation scholarship)
2016 Completed Mural Painting Course, Graduate School of Fine Arts Tokyo University of the Arts
2013 Graduated from Oil Painting Course Department of Painting Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
Solo exhibitions
2024 ”Anoche vi un sueño” Jike Studio (Kanagawa)
2024 ”Cerrar los ojos, abrir las capas de la tierra como un libro” Kyoto Okazaki Tsutaya Books (Kyoto)
2023 “Close your eyes, open the layers of the earth like a book” Yokohama Marine Tower (Kanagawa)
2022 “I’m here now” Jike Studio (Kanagawa)
2021 “Su propio tiempo” mooni (Mexico City)
2021 “Soñar dentro de la tierra” Pola Museum of Art (Kanagawa)
2020 “El yo y el Yo” Ginza Tsutaya Books GINZA ATRIUM (Tokyo)
2019 “EL MUNDO INOCENTE” Tokyo Okappa chan House (Tokyo)
2017 “VOCES” Kaldi Coffee (Chihuahua)
2016-17 “EL MUNDO LLEGANDO A…” Jardín de las Esculturas (Xalapa)
2015 “BOSQUE ANIMADO” Yanaka Bossa (Tokyo)
2015 “DESPERTARSE” Liz Corporation & ART (GALLERY)(Tokyo)
2015 “El MUNDO ENREDADO EN MI CABELLO” Taller Rufino Tamayo (Oaxaca)
Selected group exhibitions
2025 “YOSHINO ART CONNECT vol.4” Spiral (Tokyo)
2024 “Dawn” Koichi Yamamura gallery (Tokyo)
2024 “Geidai Zoo” Geidai Art Plaza (Tokyo)
2024 “Dentro de la tierra , dentro del color” art space morgenrot (Tokyo)
2023 “ART SESSION” Ginza Tsutaya Books GINZA ATRIUM (Tokyo)
“Rewind” OIL Gallery (Tokyo)
2022 “I went to look for a beautiful land, I went to look for the color of my sou” art space morgenrot (Tokyo)
2022 “The 25th Taro Okamoto Awards for Contemporary Art” Taro Okamoto Museum of Art (Kawasaki)
2021 “ICHIHARA ART x MIX 2020+” ARS TSUKIDE (Chiba)
2020 “Swallow the Color of Soli Scent” art space morgenrot (Tokyo)
2019 “A plus viewing 03 Toki no Ito” Former Tanaka Residence (Samata)
2018 “ART ICHIHARA 2018 autumn” ARS TSUKIDE (Chiba)
“ART ICHIHARA 2018 spring” ARS TSUKIDE (Chiba)
“Art Fair Tokyo 2018” Tokyo International Forum (Tokyo)
“POLA MUSEUM ANNEX 2018” Pola Museum Annex (Tokyo)
2017 “ISHIBASHI FOUNDATION, Tokyo University of the Arts Oil Painting Traveling Scholarship Program Exhibition” Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo)
2017 “Naka-boso Internacional Art Festival ICHIHARA ART × MIX 2017” ARS TSUKIDE(Chiba)
2016 “GEIDAI, IBADAI,TSUKUBADAI, graduation completion Art selection Exhibition 2016” Tokai Station Gallery A (Ibaraki)
2016 “Summer Art Festival 2016 of MITSUKOSHI x Tokyo University of the Arts” Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store (Tokyo)
2015 “ISHIBASHI International Exchange Foundation for Oil Painting Scholar Report on the realization of exhibitions vol.2” Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo)
2015 “KABETEN” Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo)
2014 “MUESTRA_ANUAL” Taller Rufino Tamayo (Oaxaca)
2014 “IJYUSURU-BI” INOAC Ginza Namikidori Gallery (Tokyo)
2013 “Art Path 2013” Tokyo University of the Arts (Ibaraki)
2013 “Factum est 2013” Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo)
Art fair
2025 SALON ACME, CDMX (Mexico)
2018 ART FAIR TOKYO, Tokyo International Forum
Awards
2017 Minakami Awards, Minakami-machi, Gunma
2016 Mori Awards, Tokyo University of the Arts
Grants and scholarships
2021 Yoshino Gypsum Art Foundation (Japan) Grant for foreign study by young artists
2016 Pola Art Foundation (Japan) Grant for foreign study by young artists
2014 Fundación Ishibashi (Japan) Grant for foreign study by young artists
Residencies
2018-19 ARS TSUKIDE, Chiba
2018 Yujyuku Studio(Minakami-machi,Gunma)
2017 Oficina de Arte, Mexico City
2016-17 Instituto de Artes Plásticas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
2014-15 Taller Rufino Tamayo, Oaxaca, Mexico
2013 Residencia de Artistas Takashima, Nagasaki, Japan
Collection
Minakami Collection
Public art
Shibuya Hikarie, Tokyo, Japan. (Mural)
Teatro Ingenio in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. (Mural)
Veracruz State Hospital in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. (Mural)
Pepper Lunch 3153, Ueno in Tokyo, Japan. (Mural)
Asahiyama Park in Himi, Toyama, Japan.
Meeting center in Kojima, Takashima, Nagasaki in Japan. (Mural)
City hall of Nagashima city in Kagoshima, Japan. (Mural)
PRABHAT Secondary School, Kathmandu, Nepal. (Mural)
GUARDIANIA Elementary School, Antigua, Guatemala. (Mural)
Naranja Dulce, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico. (Mural)
CASA KASA in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. (Mural)
Art project
HEKIKAKIKAKU［Traveling Mural Project］http://hekikakikaku.com
2022 – HEKIKAKIKAKU in Sinaloa (Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico)
2016 – HEKIKAKIKAKU in Mexico (San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico)
2016 – HEKIKAKIKAKU in Kagoshima
2015 – HEKIKAKIKAKU in Toyama
2015 – HEKIKAKIKAKU in Nepal (Kathmandu)
2014 – HEKIKAKIKAKU in Guatemala (Antigua)