【AAFHK2026 #5】Ayaka Umeda at Gallery Seek Booth F02 — Dragons in Wax-Resist Dye from Shōsōin Tradition

From May 14 (Thu) to 17 (Sun), Gallery Seek exhibits at Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong 2026, at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Find us at Booth F02. Today we introduce Ayaka Umeda (b. 1993, Yamagata-gun, Hiroshima).
A graduate of Hiroshima City University’s Faculty of Arts (Textile Arts, BFA 2016, MFA 2018), Umeda received the Excellence Award for her graduation work. She served as an adjunct lecturer at her alma mater for three years (2018-2021), bringing rigorous academic training to her practice.
Umeda develops Rōzome (Japanese wax-resist dyeing) — an ancient technique seen in Shōsōin treasures — as a contemporary painting practice. Her process: hot wax is applied to resist, then dye is applied from lighter to darker tones, with additional wax layers between. Finally the wax is removed and the cloth is steamed to fix the dyes. The result is not paint applied to a surface, but color soaked into the fibers themselves — multiple layers held inside a single textile.
Her subjects draw on animism — perspectives of other living beings, environmental worlds (Umwelt), nature without fixed concepts. Her signature series “Last Flowers” (花隠れ) depicts animals at the moment of returning to nature after death, rendered in bones and flowers. “Multidimensional Biotope” places creatures that cannot coexist together at a single waterside, their viewpoints overlapping.
For Hong Kong, Umeda presents her “Dragon Soaring Through Cosmos” triptych (2024) at the center of seven works total. She has been selected nine times for the Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program, with every selected piece acquired by Mitsubishi Corporation. Her work has appeared at ART TAIPEI, Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong (2022/2023/2024), KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa, and Art Fair TOBU.
【Hong Kong selection: 7 pieces, HKD 5,789 – 14,474】
▶ Dragon Soaring Through Cosmos -Abyss- (2024) / 10F / HKD 14,474 — Dragon rising from the depths.
▶ Dragon Soaring Through Cosmos -Vortex- (2024) / 10F / HKD 14,474 — Dragon in a coiling vortex.
▶ Dragon Soaring Through Cosmos -Shine- (2024) / 10F / HKD 14,474 — Dragon in radiance, the triptych’s resolution.
▶ Sparrow Hidden in Flowers (2023) / 10F / HKD 11,579 — From the Last Flowers series. A sparrow’s return to nature.
▶ Blue and Autumn Leaves (2024) / 8S / HKD 11,579 — Seasonal color in dialogue.
▶ Sugar Glider (2024) / 3S / HKD 5,789 — Intimate small-format work.
▶ Treasure Hunt (2024) / 3S / HKD 5,789 — Companion small piece.
【Fair Information】
– Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong 2026
– May 14 (Thu) Private View – 17 (Sun) 2026
– Public Days: Fri 12-20 / Sat 10-19 / Sun 10-19
– Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)
– Gallery Seek Booth F02
▶ Inquiries: https://galleryseek.jp/artists/ayaka-umeda/