Maoka Ueda was born in 1996 in Hyogo. She studied in Art & Design in London for five years in the Foundation course at Central Saint Martins and in the Graphic Design and Communication department at Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London, England. Maoka Ueda’s artistic repertoire primarily revolves around the distortion and transformation of cartoon characters to express the laws of nature. What may appear irregular at first glance reveals a regular and beautiful structure like the harmonious flow of notes on a musical score when observed closely. The radial arrangement of characters undergoes nuanced alterations based on the direction and proximity of the canvas, offering viewers ways of seeing and multiple interpretations. The seamless connectivity of lines fosters a sense of natural harmony, allowing viewers the freedom to mentally interconnect them. Just as an object can be perceived in diverse ways based on interpretation, the radial patterns evoke various expressions depending on the viewer’s perspective.

The artist has garnered recognition for receiving a Special Jury Prize from Independent Tokyo 2020 and participated in group exhibitions such as “The International Contemporary Art AU Exhibition” at Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Hyogo, Japan in 2021 and “Chroma Distance” at POLA Museum Annex in 2023. She has held solo exhibitions since 2022 including “Wonky Tunes” (2022) and “The Catcher in the Mirage” (2023). Her works have been exhibited at international art fairs and featured prominently, notably serving as the main visual for New Energy Tokyo in 2023.