Questions
Frequently asked questions
About the work, the exhibitions and working with the studio. If your question is not answered here, get in touch.
Who is Michiko Yao?
Michiko Yao is an artist born in Osaka, Japan and based in Los Angeles. She works in painting, installation and participatory projects, and is known for using the paint-by-numbers system to explore memory, childhood and cultural identity. See the CV and bio.
What is a paint-by-numbers painting?
A paint-by-numbers kit divides an image into numbered areas and supplies a key that matches each number to a colour. Yao treats that system as a subject: some works are completed exactly as instructed, some are left at the numbered drawing stage, and some are handed to visitors to colour in as they wish.
Why does she leave canvases unfinished?
Leaving a canvas as numbered outlines turns an image into a set of instructions — an analogue for memory that is incomplete, prescribed, or borrowed from someone else. Summer Trip and Three Girls are examples.
Where has Michiko Yao exhibited?
Solo, juried and group exhibitions in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Valencia and Jeju, Korea, between 2002 and 2005 — including Gallery 825 / LAAA, CalArts, Bamboo Lane / Revisited, Gallery Asto, the Laguna Art Museum and the Kidang Museum. The complete list is on the exhibitions page.
Has her work been reviewed?
Yes — most notably in Angeleno magazine in June 2005, which described her “colorless, paint-by-number recreations”. She was also selected for New American Paintings issue no. 55 (2004 Pacific Coast Competition), juried by Michael Klein. See press and reviews.
What is the work “Tadaima” about?
Tadaima (ただいま, “I am home”) is a 15-minute video built around a miniature model of the house the artist lived in from birth until she was eleven. Because the house no longer exists, the model was reconstructed from memory. Read more.
What materials does she use?
Acrylic and ink on canvas, panel and canvas paper; tatami mats; skirt hems and basting thread; found and fabricated objects such as paint pots, shelves, a chair and a life-size cut-out figure. Each work page lists its materials under Details.
Is the artwork for sale, and can I commission or exhibit it?
Enquiries about available works, editions, exhibitions and studio visits are welcome by email at info@michikoyao.com.
How do I use the images on this site?
All artwork and images are © Michiko Yao. Images may be reproduced for press coverage of the artist with credit; for any other use, please write to info@michikoyao.com first.
Can I visit the studio?
Studio visits can sometimes be arranged in Los Angeles. Write to info@michikoyao.com with a suggested date and time.