Statement
art
Rihomi Sato
Born in Tokyo, I moved to New York in 2015, where I studied abstract painting and mixed media.
Based in New York and Tokyo.
In my practice, the body is not merely a motif but a site where social systems and cultural norms are inscribed. Structures, similarly, are not fixed—they can be deconstructed, sutured, and reconstructed. By combining diverse materials such as wood, fabric, paint, plaster, and metal without being constrained by pre-existing concepts, and sometimes stitching them together, I explore a process in which canvases and supports are reshaped and reconstructed over time, influenced by environment and experience—mirroring the way we reconstruct our own bodies, thoughts, and identities.
My works often feature fragmented female bodies and references to Japanese visual culture, investigating how identity is constructed, consumed, and redefined. By drawing on classical paintings, pornography, and social media imagery, I reveal the systems of gaze and representation that define women’s bodies, while the acts of sewing, layering, and joining evoke historical labor and social roles assigned to women.
Through this approach, I aim to confront contemporary issues such as rigid stereotypes, lookism, gender bias, and the overconsumption of images, encouraging viewers to reconsider their assumptions through the work itself.
サトウリホミ
東京生まれ。2015年にニューヨークに移住後、抽象画とミクストメディアを学び、現在もニューヨークと東京を拠点に活動している。
私の制作において、身体は単なるモチーフではなく、社会的システムや文化的規範が刻まれる場であり、構造は固定されたものではなく、分解され、縫合され、再構築されうるものである。木、布、絵具、石膏、金属などの異なる素材を概念にとらわれず組み合わせ、時には縫い合わせる実験的なプロセスを通して、私たちが自身の身体や思考、アイデンティティを再構築するように、時間や環境、影響によってキャンバスや支持体も変化・再構築されることを試みている。
作品には断片化された女性の身体や日本のビジュアル要素が現れ、アイデンティティがどのように構築され、消費され、再定義されるかを探求する。古典絵画、ポルノ、ソーシャルメディアのイメージを参照することで、女性の身体を規定する視線や表象のシステムを明らかにし、縫う・重ねる・接合する行為を通じて、歴史的に女性に割り当てられてきた労働や社会的役割を想起させる。
このアプローチにより、固定概念からの解放やルッキズム、ジェンダーバイアス、過剰消費されるイメージといった現代的な課題に向き合い、作品を通して観者に再考を促すことを目指している。
EDUCATION
2026 Schoo of Visual Arts - residency program
2018- 2021 The Art Students League of New York
- Four-year Fine Art Certificate program ( Mixed Media, Printmaking, Abstract painting )
2018 Con Artist Collective - Summer residency program
2014 The Art Students League of New York ( Nude Drawing, Painting )
SOLO EXHIBITION
2024 “ Senses of Bonds ” FOAM CONTEMPORARY ( Tokyo, Japan )
2023 “ Friday Night Humanism ” Hiro Okamoto Gallery ( Tokyo, Japan )
GROUP EXHIBITION
2026 “ Group Show 2026 ” Kyoto tsutayabooks ( Kyoto, Japan )
“ EVERY WOMEN BIENNIAL ” Pen and Brush Gallery ( New York )
2025 ” Amalgam ” Kohtoh ( Tokyo, Japan )
2024 “ EVERY WOMAN BIENNIAL ( New York )
2022 “ BEAMS POP UP SHOW ” BEAMS T HARAJUKU ( Tokyo, Japan )
“The 26th JAA Art Exhibition ” JAA Gallery ( New York )
2021 “ LAYERS OF THE MOMENT ” 3RD ETHOS Gallery ( Brooklyn, NY )
2019 “ New Japanese Horizon ” WHA Center ( Brooklyn, NY )
“ EPOCH CENTER “ The living artist gallery ( Queens, NY )
“ CONSTITUTION “ Con Artist Collective ( New York )
“ SJAC 2019 “ Tenri Cultural Institute ( New York )
“ EVERY WOMAN BIENNIAL “ ( New York )
“ insight “ Art Point Gallery Ginza ( Tokyo, Japan )
2018 “ Small works show “ 440 Gallery ( Brooklyn, New York )
“ Summer residency show “ Con Artist Collective ( New York )
“ Monster exhibition “ Shibuya Hikarie Shibuya ( Tokyo, Japan )
“ Intensity of wants “ J-Collabo ( Brooklyn, New York )
“ Second Annual International Women’s Day Art Fair “ One Art space ( New York )
2017 “ Annual Group Exhibition “ J-Collabo ( Brooklyn, NY )
“ Bloomig in Brooklyn “ J-Collabo ( Brooklyn, NY )
“ Our Mail Art Summer Biennial “ Ground floor Gallery ( Brooklyn, NY )
AWARD
2019 Merit Scholarship Abstract Category, The Art Students League of NY
Exhibition
2022 " BEAMS POP UP SHOW " BEAMS T HARAJUKU, TOKYO
2021 " LAYERS OF THE MOMENT " 3RD ETHOS Gallery, NY
2019 “ New Japanese Horizon “ WHA Center, NY
“ EPOCH CENTER “ The living artist gallery, NY
“ CONSTITUTION “ Con Artist Collective, NY
“ SJAC 2019 “ Tenri Cultural Institute, NY
“ EVERY WOMAN BIENNIAL “ NY
“ insight “ Art Point Gallery Ginza, Tokyo
2018 “ Small works show “ 440 Gallery, NY
“ Summer residency show “ Con Artist Collective, NY
“ Monster exhibition “ Shibuya Hikarie Shibuya, Tokyo
“ Intensity of wants “ J-Collabo, NY
“ Second Annual International Women’s Day Art Fair “ One Art space, NY
2017 “ Annual Group Exhibition “ J-Collabo, NY
“ Bloomig in Brooklyn “ J-Collabo, NY
“ Our Mail Art Summer Biennial “ Ground floor Gallery, NY
“Wish You Were Here 16”, A.I.R. Gallery, NY
2013 Yho Art Gallery, Tokyo
Award
2019 Merit Scholarship Abstract Category, The Art Students League of NY
