Yurika Saito
From Tokyo Japan, residing in Berlin Germany
Painting/Embroidery/Natural dyeing/Performance
-Biography-
Yurika Saito is known for incorporating the textures and irregularities of nature into her creative process.
In recent years, she has been exploring paintings and hand-embroidered works on fabric in two colors, examining images and natural landscapes through the simple relationships between pigment, thread, and fabric, as well as the unevenness of handwork.
Her series include “GOD DOG”, a painting and performance project focused on Japan’s wolf cult and the growing population of wild wolves in Germany.
Through her “Living Dyeing” project, she uses plant-based dyes and local Berlin waste materials to create hand-dyed works, offering beginner-friendly workshops across Germany. As a member of the Berlin Handcrafts Collective, she experiments with diverse approaches, including reusing spent tea leaves and collaborating with ceramicists, woodworkers, and tea masters.
Her practice balances spontaneity and receptivity, exploring themes of duality, circulation, and the nature of the creative process. Her works are in private collections in Germany, the United States, Spain, and Mexico.
-Background-
After completing foundational studies at the Shinjuku Art Institute in Tokyo, Saito traveled across Japan, Canada, Australia, and Europe, drawing inspiration from diverse landscapes and both Eastern and Western perspectives on nature.
She has been influenced by Canadian landscape painter Tom Thomson, Austrian contemporary artist Lois Weinberger (on human-plant relationships), and Zen painting.
Since relocating to Berlin in 2019, she has continued her active, practice-based work.
Yurika Saito 齋藤 由里加
東京生まれ、ドイツ・ベルリン在住
絵画・刺繍・天然染色・パフォーマンス
-バイオグラフィー-
自然から得た質感や不均一性を制作プロセスに取り入れることが特徴。
近年は2色で布に絵画を刺繍で表現することに取り組み、色素、糸、布の素朴な関係性や手作業による不均一性を通して、心象や自然の風景を探る。
日本の狼信仰とドイツで増加している野生狼をテーマに制作するGOD DOG絵画やパフォーマンスシリーズなどを展開中。
また、循環を意識した草木染めの活動**「Living Dyeing」**プロジェクトでは、ベルリン地域の廃材を活用し、手染め作品の制作や初心者向けワークショップをドイツ各地で実施。Berlin Handcrafts Collectiveのメンバーとして、使用済み茶葉の再利用や陶芸家・木工作家・ティーマイスターとの協働など、多様な展開を試みている。
制作は自発性と受動性を併せ持ち、「対極性」や「循環」、制作プロセスそのものの在り方を探求している。
作品はドイツ、アメリカ、スペイン、メキシコの個人コレクションに収蔵。
-来歴-
東京新宿美術学院で基礎を修学後、日本、カナダ、オーストラリア、ヨーロッパ各地の風景や文化に触れ、多様な自然環境や東洋・西洋双方の自然観、文化的視点から影響を受ける。
カナダの風景画家Tom Thomson、オーストリアの現代美術家Lois Weinberger(「植物と人間の関係」)、そして禅画からも大きな影響を受け、2019年にベルリンへ移住後は実践的制作活動を継続している。Past Solo Exhibition 個展
Group Exhibition グループ展
2025
10.27 WORK ON SKIN FLIGHT 3
09.27 BERLIN ASIA ARTS CLUB sharing of techniques and philosophies
09.10-14. Berlin Art Week Kunsthaus Kule
05.25 "Shuhari 守破離 Berlin" at Japanisch-Deutsches Zentrum Berlin: Startseite ベルリン日独センター
04.19 "Tea Pup Up" at Oukan dinning 202411.23 "Tea Arts 茶藝" with Mariko Chiba, Wolfgang Schwabe
09. 11-15 "Ausnahmsweise NORMAL” artweek im KunstHaus Kule
04.26-28 Berlin Gallery Weekend Kunsthaus Kule Berlin Germany2023
09.15-17 “Dragonerareal” as a part of KKM artist group
09.16 “MA | Art Point in Between 美術の間” at Anomalieartpoint
03.11 “KÜNSTLER-BÜHNE 2023” 日独文化交流イベントat Hoffnung-Kibō-Berlin-Japan e. V.
01.25-26 “Emotional Impacts Art Exhibition” by Shiori Nakano 2022
11.3-19 “THE CUT UP” group exhibition at LiTE-HAUS galerie+projektraum
10.13-29 “GRAY AREA” group exhibition at LiTE-HAUS galerie+projektraum
05.20-21 “From the Dark” Exhibition by Violaine Toth Ceramic
04.16-17 “SOLIDARITY with UKRAINE” Charity Art Exhibition & Performance2021
05.13-06.10 Stitch vol.3 illustration embroidery exhibition at Nogatstraße 39, BerlinArt performance パフォーマンス
2025
12.13 NEXUS Wolf myth improvised painting and music with Jung-Jae Kim
05.26 "HotCat24 " at Richten 25 Fumio Okura (Violin, Organization),Youjin Sung (Gayageum KoreanZither), Vincent Laju (Shakuhachi, Cello),Yurika Saito(Live Painting)
03.14 "Hot Cat 22" Experimental Film&Music at Hosec Contemporary Fumio Okura (Violin), Shiomi Kawaguchi (Shamisen), Yurika Saito Film/movement
03.12 "GOD DOG" Full Moon Sound Experience #9 Yuirka Saito(Film), Tamae Yoneda(Dance), Vincent Laju(Cello,Shakuhachi), Mizuki Ishikawa(Sound)
03.03 "HotCat23 " at Richten25 Fumio Okura(Violone), Li-chin Li (Sheng Chinese Mouth Organ), Vincent Laju (Shakuhachi, Cello), Yurika Saito (Live Painting)2024
12.10 "Hot Cat 20" : Oriental Music & Painting with Dasom Baek (Daegeum), Shingo Masuda (Qanun), Fumio Okura (Violin)
11.23 "Tea Art" Concert and Painting, Genmyo玄明 trio
09.13 "Nexus #7" Live painting with Vincent Laju (Cello&Shakuhachi)
07.19 Hot Cat 18: Experimental Films & Music
06.19 “Genmyo玄明 and Hot Cat: Live painting & Music” at Café Plume Berlin
06.14 “CONVERGENCE III” Live painting with Vincent Laju
02.19 “Genmyo a.k.a Sannin 玄明 a.k.a 三人Special guest Li-Chin Li 李俐錦” at Café Plume Berlin2023
06.27-29 07.02 “engrave” performance with contemporary dancer Tamae Yoneda
07.20 “Hot Cat 9” Live painting & music at Kühlspot
07.15 “mawari improvisation performance series vol.3” improvised natural dye performance
04.28 “Hot Cat 5" Film&Musik Showing art film at Untergruen experimental music performers
04.21 “reflection” Live performance with sound video installation and action performance at gallery snow Hammering flower performance with heart beat sound Rina Nakano
02.12 “brœk“ experimental musik / performance with hammering dye 2022
12.09 “Hot Cat 4” showing performance film at Untergruen with experimental music performers
06.26 "Durational performance” with Rina Nakano 5 hours Hammering flower dye and heart beat soundsNatural dye workshop 草木染め講習
2026
2025
11.08-09 Berlin Tea Festival Tea dyeing works and lessons
09.07 Natural dye workshop at Soho House Berlin Nomad X Collective
07.11 Natural Tea Leaves Dye Workshop at C*SPACE Summer Tea Fest2024
11.24 Natural Tea Leaves Dye Workshop at C*SPACE Winter Tea @Berlin Tea Festival 2024
11.23 Natural Tea Leaves Dye Workshop at "Tea Arts 茶藝"
09.26 Natural Dye Workshop with NOMAD×COLLECTIVE at Creative Lab #8
09.21 Natural Tea Leaves Dye C*SPACE AUTUMN FEST 2024 @ C*SPACE
07.14 Natural Tea Leaves Dye C*SPACE TEA SUMMER FEST 2024 @ C*SPACE
07.07 Japanmarkt Berlin Festsaal Kreuzberg
05.30 24th Nippon Connection - Japanese Film Festival Frankfurt
02.11 at Curious Fabrications2023
12.15+16 Kogei Winter-Christmanmarket at Nihon Mono
10.20+21+27+28 Community market at MUJI Berlin Ku'damm
07.28+29 Community market at MUJI Berlin Ku'damm
March+April+May Love Burger Berlin