Kae Sasaki
May 10 - June 22, 2025
Reception: TBA
Craft Ontario Gallery, 1106 Queen Street West, Toronto
Kae Sasaki (she/her) is a visual artist and Japanese-born settler living and working on Treaty One Territory, known as Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Kae grew up in Fukui, an hour away from Kyoto, with a slight detour in El Paso, Texas in her formative years. She graduated from Rikkyo University in Tokyo where she studied German literature as well as education and library science. After moving to Winnipeg she worked full-time in accounting and half-time grading exams and essays on campus while putting herself through School of Art at University of Manitoba, graduating with first class honours in 2012. Kae has taught drawing as a sessional instructor at University of Manitoba faculty of architecture while establishing a full-time studio practice.
Kae is a recipient of Alice Hamilton Painting Prize, Cecil C. Richards Memorial Award for achievement in figurative sculpture, Lynn Sissons Memorial Scholarship, and a public art commission award from University of Manitoba Sculptural Experience competition. Her art practice has been generously supported by grants from Winnipeg Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts, and her work can be found in private, public, and corporate collections in Canada and U.S.A. She has been shortlisted for the Kingston Prize (2015/2017/2019), the Salt Spring National Art Prize (2017) and Jackson's Open Painting Prize (2018/2019) for her painting.
While her primary art medium remains representational painting, Kae started creating unconventional beadwork using reclaimed vintage Japanese beads that are harvested from damaged vintage beaded bags and using traditional Japanese beading technique since 2019. Her beadwork has received funding support from Manitoba Arts Council through Manitoba Arts Council Riding Mountain Artist Residency in 2019 and 2023, and Manitoba Craft Council through Victoria Beach Retreat in 2023.
kaesasaki.com
