Portraits Where Memories of the Land Reside in the Body — Photographer Ayaka Yamamoto Solo Exhibition "We are Made of Grass, Soil, and Trees" to be Held at WALL_okinawa (Okinawa, Yomitan)
Photographer Ayaka Yamamoto's solo exhibition "We are Made of Grass, Soil, and Trees" will be held at WALL_okinawa in Yomitan, Okinawa, from May 8 to September 9, 2026. The exhibition, themed on the relationship between land memory and the body, will feature new works and portraits created during her stay in Okinawa, marking her first solo exhibition in Okinawa.
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Avex Creator Agency Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shinsuke Kato) is pleased to announce that its art project "MEET YOUR ART/WALL_alternative" will hold a solo exhibition titled "We are Made of Grass, Soil, and Trees" by photographer Ayaka Yamamoto at "WALL_okinawa," an art space operated in collaboration with GLAMDAY STYLE HOTEL & RESORT OKINAWA YOMITAN (Tokyo Headquarters/Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & Group CEO: Hiroaki Kato), managed by Kato Pleasure Group. The exhibition will run from Friday, May 8 to Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
Ayaka Yamamoto has consistently focused on "land authenticity" (地性) throughout her career, capturing images that emerge from the relationship between "land, memory, and body." She has immersed herself in places where traces of history and memory breathe in the present, such as Estonia, Russia, Malawi, Georgia, and Okinawa, and has continued her creative work by building relationships with the people she encounters there over time. Her portraits, imbued with the memories of the land and embodying landscapes in the body, are not only individual portraits but also manifest as images of the land itself, earning high acclaim both domestically and internationally.
For this exhibition, set in Okinawa, where Yamamoto has recently based her activities, she will present 8 new works created during her residency, in addition to an attempt to display portraits of people she met during her stay in Okinawa in a slide format using a projector.
With nine subjects from diverse backgrounds living mainly in Yomitan Village, Okinawa, all costumes and decorations were found within the land. Relationships were fostered through a process of shared time and dialogue. The accumulation of these interactions gradually emerges in the images, bringing forth the memories and presence within the subjects as a single image.
The portraits spun within the unique climate of Okinawa highlight "what can only be born here." These are not only individual portraits but also portraits of the land itself, and through this exhibition, a multilayered relationship where body and land intersect emerges.
This exhibition marks Yamamoto's first solo exhibition in Okinawa. We invite you to experience this exhibition, which crystallizes "expressions that can only be born here."
Furthermore, an opening reception will be held from 15:00 on Friday, May 8, the first day, with the artist expected to be in attendance.
GLAMDAY STYLE HOTEL & RESORT OKINAWA YOMITAN, the venue, is currently offering an all-inclusive plan to fully enjoy your hotel stay.
From Tuesday, May 12, during the exhibition period, the restaurant "Ryukyu DINING TASTE," which offers an essence of multinational cuisine and traditional Okinawan dishes, will propose a new "dining experience" from GLAMDAY STYLE.
Enjoy an unprecedented prefix style where you can choose your favorite main dishes and appetizers as many times as you like, according to your mood.
In addition, a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, including cocktails, wine, awamori, and whiskey, as well as non-alcoholic options, will be available for those who do not drink.
We invite you to enjoy a moment savoring Okinawan cuisine unique to TASTE, which can only be enjoyed at the restaurant, along with the artworks.
■Exhibition Overview
Ayaka Yamamoto Solo Exhibition "We are Made of Grass, Soil, and Trees"
Period: Friday, May 8, 2026 – Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Hours: 18:00 - 22:00
Venue: WALL_okinawa
Address: 571-1 Senaha, Yomitan-son, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa 904-0325
Inside GLAMDAY STYLE HOTEL & RESORT OKINAWA YOMITAN
TEL: 098-987-8300
Admission: No reservation required, but advance reservations are possible.
*Please note that admission may be regulated during crowded times, so advance reservations are recommended.
HP URL: https://avex.jp/wall/exhibition/808/
Planning: MEET YOUR ART
Graphic design: Ayuko Kuwata
《OPENING RECEPTION》
Date: Friday, May 8, 2026, 15:00-17:00
Venue: WALL_okinawa
Admission: Free
*The artist is scheduled to be present.
Ayaka Yamamoto
Born in Kobe in 1983.
Graduated from Kyoto Seika University, Department of Fine Arts, Oil Painting Course in 2006.
While majoring in painting at university, her interest gradually shifted to creating performance and video works using her own body. In 2004, San Francisco.
Ayaka Yamamoto has consistently focused on "land authenticity" (地性) throughout her career, capturing images that emerge from the relationship between "land, memory, and body." She has immersed herself in places where traces of history and memory breathe in the present, such as Estonia, Russia, Malawi, Georgia, and Okinawa, and has continued her creative work by building relationships with the people she encounters there over time. Her portraits, imbued with the memories of the land and embodying landscapes in the body, are not only individual portraits but also manifest as images of the land itself, earning high acclaim both domestically and internationally.
For this exhibition, set in Okinawa, where Yamamoto has recently based her activities, she will present 8 new works created during her residency, in addition to an attempt to display portraits of people she met during her stay in Okinawa in a slide format using a projector.
With nine subjects from diverse backgrounds living mainly in Yomitan Village, Okinawa, all costumes and decorations were found within the land. Relationships were fostered through a process of shared time and dialogue. The accumulation of these interactions gradually emerges in the images, bringing forth the memories and presence within the subjects as a single image.
The portraits spun within the unique climate of Okinawa highlight "what can only be born here." These are not only individual portraits but also portraits of the land itself, and through this exhibition, a multilayered relationship where body and land intersect emerges.
This exhibition marks Yamamoto's first solo exhibition in Okinawa. We invite you to experience this exhibition, which crystallizes "expressions that can only be born here."
Furthermore, an opening reception will be held from 15:00 on Friday, May 8, the first day, with the artist expected to be in attendance.
GLAMDAY STYLE HOTEL & RESORT OKINAWA YOMITAN, the venue, is currently offering an all-inclusive plan to fully enjoy your hotel stay.
From Tuesday, May 12, during the exhibition period, the restaurant "Ryukyu DINING TASTE," which offers an essence of multinational cuisine and traditional Okinawan dishes, will propose a new "dining experience" from GLAMDAY STYLE.
Enjoy an unprecedented prefix style where you can choose your favorite main dishes and appetizers as many times as you like, according to your mood.
In addition, a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, including cocktails, wine, awamori, and whiskey, as well as non-alcoholic options, will be available for those who do not drink.
We invite you to enjoy a moment savoring Okinawan cuisine unique to TASTE, which can only be enjoyed at the restaurant, along with the artworks.
■Exhibition Overview
Ayaka Yamamoto Solo Exhibition "We are Made of Grass, Soil, and Trees"
Period: Friday, May 8, 2026 – Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Hours: 18:00 - 22:00
Venue: WALL_okinawa
Address: 571-1 Senaha, Yomitan-son, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa 904-0325
Inside GLAMDAY STYLE HOTEL & RESORT OKINAWA YOMITAN
TEL: 098-987-8300
Admission: No reservation required, but advance reservations are possible.
*Please note that admission may be regulated during crowded times, so advance reservations are recommended.
HP URL: https://avex.jp/wall/exhibition/808/
Planning: MEET YOUR ART
Graphic design: Ayuko Kuwata
《OPENING RECEPTION》
Date: Friday, May 8, 2026, 15:00-17:00
Venue: WALL_okinawa
Admission: Free
*The artist is scheduled to be present.
Ayaka Yamamoto
Born in Kobe in 1983.
Graduated from Kyoto Seika University, Department of Fine Arts, Oil Painting Course in 2006.
While majoring in painting at university, her interest gradually shifted to creating performance and video works using her own body. In 2004, San Francisco.