Reina Mikame (b.1992, Aichi Prefecture) currently lives and works in Tokyo, with activities centered in the Kanto and Chubu regions within Japan. Mikame engages in producing paintings that explore the relationship between “perception and image.” With a focus on the establishment of flat, neutral images unaffected by individual experiences or memories, and the conditions necessary for their deep perception, she depicts motifs of common scenes that we all encounter in our everyday such as plants, a glass of water, or sunlight filtering through the trees. In addition to producing series of works exploring elements such as lines, colors, light, and temperature, she has recently produced works referencing Henri Bergson’s Matter and Memory. Mikame’s works, while highly abstract in nature, are characterized by their evocation of tactile sensations such as humidity, temperature, and texture, imparting a sense of warmth and familiarity.
Her recent solo exhibitions include “Distance of the Light” (Verkehr Museum, Shizuoka, 2024), “Following the Light” (Yutaka Kikutake Gallery, Tokyo, 2024), “Embracing the Light” (Yutaka Kikutake Gallery, Tokyo, 2022), “Looking at the Line” (Yutaka Kikutake Gallery, 2021), “project N 69 Reina Mikame” (Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Tokyo, 2017), with selected group exhibitions such as “The Vision of Contemporary Art” (The Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo, 2020). Mikame is the recipient of numerous awards such as the 2021 Toyota City Cultural New Face Award (Toyota City Cultural Promotion Foundation), Selection for “ARTS CHALLENGE 2019,” and Tokyo Wonder Wall Award (“Tokyo Wonder Wall 2012”).
Mikame’s works are included in the collections of Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art and Toyota City, Aichi.