Born 1973, Osaka, Japan
MA Fine Art, San José State University, San José, CA, 2021
BFA, Notre Dame De Namur University, Belmont, CA, 1996
Lives and works in Berkeley, CA
Solo Exhibitions
2025
Jessica Silverman, San Francisco, CA [forthcoming]
2023
Masako Miki: Empathy Lab, RYAN LEE Gallery, New York, NY
Shapeshifting, KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY
2022
Masako Miki: Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, ICA San José, CA
2021
Radical Hope, RYAN LEE, New York, NY
MASAKO MIKI: New Mythologies, CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA
2019
MATRIX 273, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA
Shapeshifters, CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA
2018
In Process, The Watermill Center, Watermill, New York
2016
Kira Kira, Moya Moya, Hara Hara, Kimball Education Gallery, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
Conversations with Fox, Feather, and Ghost, Cult Aimee Friberg Exhibition, San Francisco, CA
2014
Kamiyama Artist in Residence, Kokoro No Tabi (Journey in Between Places), Yoriiza Theater, Tokushima, Japan
2013
Helplessness in Hopefulness, K. Imperial Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
2012
Ancillary Adaptations, Swarm Gallery, Oakland, CA
2011
Recent Work, Latham Square through Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
2010
Unnatural Plans, Park Life, San Francisco, CA
2009
Contemplating Her Infinite Disguise, Gallery Extrana, Berkeley, CA
Group Exhibitions
2024
(Super) Natural, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA [forthcoming]
All Together Now: Celebrating AAPI Voices in Contemporary Art, Qualia Contemporary Art, Palo Alto, CA
2023
Bay Area Now 9, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
What Has Been and What Could Be: The BAMPFA Collection, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA
Good Morning Japan, Nassima Landau Foundation, Tel Aviv, Israel
Twentysomethings Exhibition, The Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, FL
Legacy, Cult Aimee Friberg Exhibition, San Francisco, CA
2022
Certeza, Collección SOLO, Madrid, Spain
Come Together, Apple Campus, Mountain View, CA
Midnight Murmurs, Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA
Constant Carnival: The Haas Brothers in Context, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY
Cute Tunes for Serious Sapiens, Ascaso Gallery, Miami, FL
Group Exhibition at Governor’s Mansion, Sacramento, CA
The Potential of Objects, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, CA
Physics & Fiction, Cult Aimee Friberg Exhibition, San Francisco, CA
2021
Janus II, CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA
Our Eyes Are On Fire, Sarah Shepard Gallery, Larkspur, CA
4 x 8 Bridges, 8–Bridges, CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA
2020
Janus, 8–Bridges, CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA
Record of Succession, Fused Space, San Francisco, CA
2019
FAULTline 2.0, A Collection of Works by California Artists Living on the FAULTline, San Francisco, CA
Fiberful, NIAD Art Center, Richmond, CA
Portraits, Jones Institute, San Francisco, CA
Strange, Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA
2018
Group Hang: Print Edition, Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA
In Process, The Watermill Center, Water Mill, NY
Strange Forest, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA
2017
Group Hang, 5th Year Anniversary Facebook Artist in Residence, The Lab, San Francisco, CA
Let the Tool Do the Work, Worth Ryder Art Gallery, University of California, Berkeley, CA
Earth and Reveries, Fellowship Award Exhibition, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA
Three-person Exhibition, Works on Paper, Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont, CA
2016
New West Chronicle, Photo issue, Court Yard, Tokyo, Japan
2015
Passport 2015, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Heft, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA
2014
Survival Adaptations, Adobe Books Backroom Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Soft Muscle, Root Division Gallery, San Francisco, CA
The Possible, Corresponding Mail Art, Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, CA
Dots and Lines by Tofu Project, Digital Garage, San Francisco, CA
2013
Infinitely Bound, The Interface Gallery, Oakland, CA
Summer Exhibition, The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
On View, New work from Kala, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA
Peaceable Kingdom: Animals, Real and Imagined, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
2012
Aqua Art Miami, K. Imperial Fine Art, Aqua Hotel, Miami, FL
Bay Area Currents 2012, What We Can’t See But Want to See is Art, curated by Renny Pritikin, Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
Beauty, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
2011
Breaking Ranks: Human/Nature, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA
Chain Letter Show, Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Juried Annual 2011, Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA
2010
Unnatural Plans, Park Life, San Francisco, CA
2009
Contemplating Her Infinite Disguise, Gallery Extrana, Berkeley CA
Selected Projects / Commissions
2024
Shapeshifters in Sea of Trees, BioMed Realty, South San Francisco, CA [forthcoming]
2023
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Aquatic Park, Berkeley, CA
2022
Minna-Natoma Corridor, San Francisco, CA
Rengstorff Park Aquatics, Mountain View, CA
2021
Uber HQ, San Francisco, CA
2020
Coastal Cultural Park, OH Bay Art Project, Shenzhen, China
Awards/Grants
2024
The Anderson Ranch Visiting Artist Prize, Aspen, CO
2019
Master Artist Award, Kala Artist Institute, Berkeley, CA
2018
Inga Maren Otto Fellowship Award, The Watermill Center, Watermill, NY
2017
Artist Fellowship Award, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA
2014
Invited Artist, received full sponsorship, Tokushima, Japan
2013
Juror’s Award, Peaceable Kingdom: Animals, Real and Imagined, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
2012
SECA Award Nominee, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA
2010
SECA Award Nominee, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA
The Santo Foundation Individual Artists Award, St. Louis, MO
1998
Helen Dooley Scholarship, San José State University, San José, CA
Residencies
2023
Print Fellow, Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
Lucas Artists Residency Program Fellowship, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, CA
2018
Residency at The Watermill Center, Watermill, NY
2016
Artist Residency Program, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
2015
Facebook Artist in Residence Program, Menlo Park, CA
2014
Yoriiza Theater, Tokushima, Japan
Artist Fellow, Kamiyama Artist in Residency, Tokushima, Japan
Artist in Residency Program, received stipend, Project 387, Gualala, CA
2011
Artist in Residency, Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
Artist in Residency Program, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
2009
Artist in Residency, Contemporary Artists Center, Troy, New York
Selected Bibliography
2023
Recker, Scott. “Masako Miki Reimagines Mythology through ‘Shapeshifting’ exhibition in Louisville.” Louisville Public Media. July 21, 2023.
2022
Corbin, Mary. “Shapeshifters of Masako Miki.” 48 Hills. November 21, 2022.
Case, Elliott Sky. “Masako Miki’s Shapeshifting New Façade at ICA San Jose.” Metro Silicon Valley. November 16, 2022.
Takac, Balasz. “The Shapeshifting with Artist Masako Miki.” Widewalls. January 14, 2022.
2021
Balstrin, Sofia. “Shaping Our Collective Fiction.” METAL Magazine. June 2021.
Carter, Don. “Artist Masako Miki draws on ancient Japanese mythology to explore non-binary identities.” Creative Boom. August 2021.
Bonner-Evans, Bella. “Discussing Public Art, Fluidity, and Shapeshifting with Masako Miki.” Art Plugged. November 2021.
Hotchkiss, Sarah. “San Francisco’s Minna and Natoma Streets to Become an Art Corridor.” KQED. October 8, 2021.
Waddoups, Ryan. “Designer of the Day: Masako Miki.” Surface. July 26, 2021.
2019
Farr, Kristen. “Masako Miki: Thig Might Shapeshifter.” Juxtapoz. December 19, 2019.
Soriano, Amyra. “Masako Miki’s New BAMPFA Exhibit Draws on Japanese Folklore to Spur Connection.” East Bay Express. January 9, 2019.
Collections
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, CA
Chen Zuckerberg Initiative, Redwood City, CA
Colección SOLO, Madrid, Spain
Facebook, Inc., Menlo Park, CA
Fidelity Investment Boston, MA
McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA
The Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, New York, NY
