About

Mikiko Uchigashima grew up in Gujo Hachiman (Gifu Prefecture) and Mihama Town (Chita District, Aichi Prefecture), surrounded by mountains, rivers, the sea, and fields. Her childhood was filled with the freedom of nature. Influenced by her grandmother who ran a sewing and craft shop, she developed an early familiarity with fashion and making things by hand. She later majored in fashion at university, where she studied sewing and design—an experience that laid the foundation for her creative journey.

As a child, she enjoyed combining various materials freely, and even now, she continues to enjoy expressing herself without borders. A passionate traveler, she finds inspiration in the colors, cultures, scents, temperatures, and sounds she encounters in remote parts of Asia, Australia, and Latin America. These sensory memories deeply inform her work, even if they are difficult to explain in words.

In 2007, she began studying painting seriously under Sayuri Yoshioka, exploring acrylic and oil painting, and started exhibiting in group shows. Her work, often praised for its vivid colors and unique lines, gained recognition from professional artists and designers, encouraging her to pursue creative expression more deeply.

One of her early paintings caught the eye of a boutique owner, leading to her first solo exhibition held inside a fashion store. With her background in fashion, she began creating accessories and hand-painted T-shirts based on her artwork. Transforming her paintings into small brooches, she held exhibitions that blended visual art with fashion—marking a new and experimental stage in her career.

In 2017, at an art fair in Paris, she met a gallery representative from Korea, which opened doors to regular participation in art fairs in Korea and Hong Kong from 2018 onward. Around the same time, she was introduced to glass and cloisonné artist Yoshiko Hasegawa, a friend of her painter uncle. Inspired by Hasegawa’s words, “Your paintings could be fascinating if expressed in glass,” she visited the artist’s studio and tried glass fusing and cloisonné techniques. She was especially captivated by the rare and enchanting method of glass cloisonné (glass-based enameling), and began to study it seriously.

Currently, Mikiko creates primarily two-dimensional works that combine painting with glass cloisonné, exploring the interplay between color and materials with curiosity and joy.

A pivotal moment in her creative journey came during a trip to Mexico in 2010, when she was deeply moved by the work of Mexican painter Marilo Carral. By a miraculous coincidence, she had the opportunity to meet Marilo the following year during her visit to Japan. They spent nearly eight hours talking passionately over a single glass of water, completely absorbed in conversation and forgetting even to eat. This intense, unforgettable encounter had a profound impact on Mikiko as an artist.

Since then, Mikiko has visited Marilo’s studio in Mexico every few years, painting together and learning under her guidance. She continues to be inspired by Marilo’s vibrant use of color and deeply spiritual approach to art—an influence that still quietly resonates in Mikiko’s own creations.