Married to a Japanese spouse, Risa Wada is an emerging Malaysian artist currently based in Tokyo, Japan. Trained in fashion design at Eric Lim Fashion Design School in Penang, she spent 18 years working in an investment bank before pursuing her childhood dream of becoming an artist. In 2016, she began her Wild Desert Cactus collection, inspired by her cat Toro's fascination with cacti. This collection marked the beginning of her exploration into the idea of 'Anima' (Latin word for "Soul") — the soul or spirit within plants and trees. Viewing everyday life through a creative lens, Risa merges elements of Mother Nature with human emotions in her art. Influenced by her idols Yayoi Kusama and Joan Miró, she aspires to transform people's perceptions of contemporary art, much like they did.

 

Risa Wada's first solo exhibition, ‘Yasuragi – Repose’, was held at Younie Gallery in Kuala Lumpur in 2019. This was followed by her second solo show, ‘ANIMA MEA’, at Gallery Kujaku in Tokyo, Japan, in 2023, where she is now based. She has also participated in several international group shows and expos, including “Shanghai International Art Fair 2nd Edition”, National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai, China (2020), “SEKAKI International Art Group Show”, KL City Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur (2020), Art Asia@KL 2019 Asian Warisan Fair, Matrade Exhibition & Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur (2019), and “Art Asia@KL 2018 Hotel Art Expo”, Palace of the Golden Horses, Selangor (2018). 

 

Most notably, in 2022, Risa Wada was invited to showcase her work at the 6th edition of 'Personal Structures,' organized by the European Cultural Centre (ECC) in Venice, Italy. Running concurrently with the prestigious Venice Biennale, the biennial exhibition is a platform renowned for fostering cultural exchange and celebrating the diversity of contemporary art. Over the years, the biennial has featured significant artists in its series, including Yoko Ono. During the same year, she pursued the 'Modern Art Theory Through Practice' short course at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, further honing her understanding of contemporary art and exposing herself to the international art market central hub.

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ART EDUCATION

2022   Modern Art Theory through Practice Short Course, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London

1991   Fashion Design, Eric Lim Fashion Design School, Penang 

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SOLO EXHIBITION

2023    ANIMA MEA, Gallery Kujaku, Tokyo, Japan

2019   Yasuragi - Repose, Younie Gallery, Kuala Lumpur

 

GROUP EXHIBITION & EXPO

2022   Personal Structures 6th ed by European Cultural Centre, in parallel with Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy

2020   Shanghai International Art Fair 2nd Edition, National Exhibition and Convention Center Shanghai, China

2020   SEKAKI International Art Group Show, KL City Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur

2019   Art Asia@KL 2019 Asian Warisan Fair, Matrade Exhibition & Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur

2018   Art Asia@KL 2018 Hotel Art Expo, Palace of the Golden Horses, Kuala Lumpur

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