Arika SOMEYA

1961-

Biography ｜ Works ｜ Exhibitions ｜ Collections

Biography ｜ Works ｜ Exhibitions ｜ Collections

1961
Born in Aichi, Japan

1984
B.F.A. in Oil Painting, Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music

1986
M.F.A. in Oil Painting, Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music

1999
Participated in ART/OMI Artist-in-Residence, New York

2000
First solo exhibition at KENJI TAKI GALLERY

Currently based in Mie and Aichi, Japan.

Works ｜ Biography ｜ Exhibitions ｜ Collections

Someya has expressed fragments of memory and imagery in his works through a unique technique of bleaching materials such as velvet. Rather than adding color, he brings images to the surface by removing it, evoking the viewer’s own memories and imagination.

Decolor – Third Reverse (airplane 1)
2018
bleached velvet
97 x 127 cm

DECOLOR – Table Canon（Button）
2011
bleached velvet, panel
100 x 242 cm

Soak- carpet
2001
motor oil, paper

Exhibitions ｜ Biography ｜ Works ｜ Collections

Selected Solo Exhibitions ｜ group

Exhibitions at KENJI TAKI GALLERY

1989
Stegosaurus Studio, Nagoya
1994
Nagoya City Archives
1996
４０９, Nagoya
1998
SQUATTER, Nagoya
2000
“DECOLOR” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Tokyo
2001
“Arika Someya: New Works” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Nagoya
2002
“Arika Someya” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Tokyo
“Projection” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Nagoya
2003
“Arika Someya: New Works” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Tokyo
2004
Arika Someya: New Works” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Tokyo
“Subtitles / Bird’s-eye View” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Nagoya
2005
“Subtitles” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Tokyo
Mie Prefectural Art Museum
2007
“WIPE / painting” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Nagoya
2008
“Silhouette” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Tokyo
2009
“Monster” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Nagoya
2010
“Monster” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Tokyo
2011
“Table Canon” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Nagoya
2015
“Table Canon + Drawings” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Tokyo
2019
“Left inside Right” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Nagoya
2021
Arika Someya Works: “The Third Turn” + D.D.: “Only the King Wears Pants” Satellite Gallery SA・KURA, Aichi University of the Arts, Nagoya

Selected Group Exhibitions ｜ Solo

1988
“One Hundred Heads” The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga
1992
“Allegory V” Nagoya Civic Gallery, Nagoya
1999
“Emerging Artists from Japan” Grey Art Gallery, New York
“4 × 4,” Alexandre de Folin, New York
2000
“12 Lodgers” Warehouse No. 8, Garden Pier, Port of Nagoya, Nagoya
2001
“Philip Morris Art Award: Exhibition of 24 Award-Winning Artists” Fuji Television Forum, Tokyo / Umeda Stella Hall, Osaka
2002
“Fan de Nagoya Art Exhibition 2002: Mediators” Nagoya Civic Gallery Yada, Nagoya
“Desire for Metamorphosis: What is Expression Now?” Fukui City Art Museum, Fukui
“Transformation and Transition: Installations by 4 (+1) Artists” Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya
2003
“Position of Contemporary Art 2003: A New Wind Blowing Through” Nagoya City Art Museum, Nagoya
“days — Peaceful Days” Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo
2005
“The 20th Parallel Art Exhibition: Notation of Collapse” Ohara-ryu Kaikan / Espace OHARA, Tokyo
2006
“Where I Am — Emerging Artists vol. 4: Photographic Discourse in the 00s” Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo
“Fukutake House in Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2006” Tokamachi, Niigata
2007
“Painting as Forest: Thinking in Painting” Okazaki City Mindscape Museum, Aichi
2009
“Kei: projection / reflection” Nagoya Civic Gallery Yada, Nagoya
2010
“Aichi Art Forest” Horikawa Project / Mizutani Residence, Nagoya
“Expanding Art: An Introduction to Contemporary Art” Mie Prefectural Art Museum, Mie
2011
“Art in an Office: From Impressionism and Modern Japanese Painting to Contemporary Painting” Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi
“Those Who Walk Out Doubly” (Satoshi Imamura, Arika Someya, Yuriko Yamamoto + D.D.), Satellite Gallery, Aichi University of the Arts, Nagoya
2012
“Light and Shadow: Light, Shadow, Time” Okazaki City Mindscape Museum, Aichi
2014
“Mindfulness! Takahashi Collection: Definitive Edition 2014” Nagoya City Art Museum, Nagoya
2016
“Yūkai: Resonating Works” Nagoya Civic Gallery Yada, Nagoya
(Aichi University of the Arts 50th Anniversary Exhibition, Oil Painting Department)
2021
“2021” KENJI TAKI GALLERY, Nagoya

■ Exhibitions as D.D. (Artist Unit: Tetsu Imamura and Arika Someya)

2011
“Those Who Walk Out Doubly” Satellite Gallery, Aichi University of the Arts, Nagoya
2012
Aichi Triennale Regional Expansion Project / Aichi Art Program “Okazaki Art & Jazz 2012” Okazaki Cibico 6F, Okazaki, Aichi
Exhibited “The Structure of a Soft-Boiled Egg” as D.D. (Tetsu Imamura + Arika Someya + video by Jiro Idehara)
2013
“Humor and Leap” Okazaki City Mindscape Museum, Okazaki, Aichi
2014
“A Detour” Nagoya City Art Museum, Nagoya
D.D. Solo Exhibition: “For the Audience, a ‘Surprise’; for the Walker, an ‘Achievement’” B2F Forum, Aichi Arts Center, Nagoya
2020
“Tilted Heads | P(art)Y LAB × D.D.” N-mark 5G, Nagoya
2021
“Reform B” MAT Exhibition vol. 09 Online Collaborative Project “Nagoya × Penang Simultaneous Exhibition: Nagoya Culture Dispatch Bureau” Minatomachi Potluck Building 3F, Nagoya
“Only the King Wears Pants” Satellite Gallery, Aichi University of the Arts, Nagoya
2023
“A House Like You” Totonou Onsen Art Exhibition, Hiranoya, Gamagori, Aichi
2025
“BonBon Coming and Going — D.D.” Coelacanth Bushiro Mohri Memorial Museum

◼️ Open Studio (Solo Exhibitions at the Artist’s Studio): 1997 / 1998 / 2000

Collections ｜ Biography ｜ Works ｜ Exhibitions

Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Japan
Mie Prefectural Art Museum, Japan
Okazaki City Mindscape Museum, Aichi, Japan