our practice

vivi & vela is a fine arts studio working between the UK and Japan. drawing on British, Italian and Caribbean heritage, our practice is dedicated to abstract expression, exploring color, form, and texture in contemporary painting.

founded in 2023, we create mixed media paintings through an independent practice bridging eastern and western sensibilities.

drawn to the beauty that emerges through diversity, contrast, and exchange, our work reflects a dialogue between diverse cultural landscapes, from the vibrant hues of the Caribbean to the quiet restraint of wabi-sabi aesthetics in japan. each piece is a reflection of artistic intuition, material exploration, and a pursuit of harmony within abstraction.

vivi & vela

our creative philosophy

rooted in natural & cultural influences, our work explores harmony & contrast, expressing cultural nuance & material presence.

  • cultural abstraction

    bridging japanese aesthetics with western sensibilities, these works reinterpret our heritage through contemporary abstraction.

  • materiality as identity

    drawing on organic forms and landscapes, layering mineral pigments and natural media to build tactile depth.

  • beauty in contrast

    melding simplicity with opulence and restraint with intensity—affirming diversity as beauty found in contrast.

exhibition history

last updated: Aug 2026
upcoming shows marked with an asterisk (*)

solo shows

2027/02 [Title TBA]
Ise Miyamachi Hotel, Mie
2026/07 shoreline | memories of the sea
Aoba no Mori Prefectural Park, Chiba
2026/01 garden | where light weaves through trees
Aoba no Mori Prefectural Park, Chiba

juried / group exhibitions

2026
ARK Award 5th
Rendezvous Gallery, Kyoto
Gallery e Ikou 2026
Sukiwa Gallery, Tokyo
Sekaido World Art Exhibition 22nd
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
E to Kotoba no Chikara 5th
Ueno Matsuzakaya, Tokyo
2025
CHANGTING GALLERY 5th
ChangTing Gallery, Tokyo
Tsukiji Hongwanji Chuo Art Auction 3rd
Tsukiji Hongwanji, Tokyo
SHIBUYA ART AWARDS 11th
Tokyo
Chiba Prefectural Art Exhibition 74th
Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art
Shinseisaku Art Exhibition 88th
National Art Center, Tokyo
Tokyo Pride, Queer Art Inaugural Exhibition
Harajuku Tokyu Plaza, Tokyo

awards

2026ART Mirai 29th, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prize
National Art Center, Tokyo
2025Art & Health 3rd, Honourable Mention
Shinjuku Artcomplex Center, Tokyo
2025ART Mirai 28th, Honourable Mention & Holbein Award
National Art Center, Tokyo

Full CV is available in PDF:
View CV & portfolio

selected contemporary painting projects and exhibitions may be presented under Vivienne Vela