Miho Watanabe Bio

Miho Watanabe is a Sydney-based intercultural artist with a background in commercial photography in Japan and Australia. Despite her commercial work, her artwork destroys photography, using mixed media and painting to explore her concept of ‘Between-ness’. She studied painting/drawing and further researched photography, painting and mixed media at UNSW. Recently she has finished her practice-led PhD research at Australian National University. She has exhibited her ‘Between-ness’ artworks in Australia and overseas, also presented her research at AHRC international interdisciplinary conference at the Cambridge University. Creating artwork for Miho means creating ‘Awareness of Between-ness’, which is the doorway to the concealed realm. She uses photography, painting, and mixed media to explore the concept of ‘between-ness’ and attempts to make the ‘invisible’ subject ‘visible’.

Miho WATANABE

Born in Kyoto, Japan. Lives in Sydney

EDUCATION

PhD in Visual Art – Australian National University 2017 – 2023

Research exegesis title: “Awareness of Between-ness; Photographic investigations of an intercultural experience of time, space and memory”

Solo exhibition: “Awareness of Between-ness: Memory and Time”

Master by Research Fine Arts – University of New South Wales Art and Design, Sydney Australia 2013 – 2015

Bachelor of Fine Arts with First Class Honours – University of New South Wales, Collage of Fine Arts, Sydney Australia 2009 – 2012

EXHIBITION

Whispers from the Canopy, Broadhurst Gallery, Hazelhurst Arts Centre Jan – Feb 2026
Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize Highly Commended Aug-Oct 2025
Sacred Grove inYour Street at Art Space on the Concourse Oct-Nov 2024
Chatswood Year of the Dragon Festival: Passage of Night; Luminary Rising by Willoughby City Council Feb 2024
Spirit Wave at Art space on Concourse Curated by a Willoughby City Council May 2023
In Conversation-Arboreal Narratives 2023 Exhibition at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf April 2023
Deakin University Small Sculpture Award Oct 2022
Bankstown Tree Festival – Arboreal Narratives group show at Bankstown arts centre Jul-Aug 2022
Awareness of Between-ness: Memory and Time at ANU gallery Apr-May 2022
Beyond Human at Chrissie Cotter Gallery March 2022
Arboreal Narratives 2020 at Sheffer Gallery Darlington Dec-2020
Arboreal Narratives: group show at Grace Cossington Smith Gallery Oct-Nov 2019
Paddington Art Prize 2019 Oct 2019
Willoughby Visual Art Biennial 2019 public art installation Sep – Oct 2019
Hidden Sculpture prize at RookWood Cemeteries Sydney Sep 2018
BOAA “Hit me with your best shot” Melbourne 2018
Ravenswood art prize Sydney June 2018
“Awareness of Between-ness: Reproducing the Remarkable Trees of France and Australia” Joint Exhibition with Louise Fowler Smith at Gaffa Gallery, Sydney Mar to Apr 2018
Contemporary Art Award 2018 https://www.contemporaryartawards.com/ Jan to June 2018
Realising Mother at Kudos gallery, Sydney Nov 2017
“Luminal” at TAP gallery, Sydney Curator: Pearl de Waal June 2017
Betweenness strangeness exhibition at Royal Holloway University, London June 2017
North Sydney Art Prize at The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability, Sydney March 2017
Contemporary art award 2016 https://www.contemporaryartawards.com/ Jan to June 2016
Blake Prize Directors cut Feb 2016
“Awareness of Between-ness: Katami (once a possession of deceased)” May 2015 at AD Space UNSW Sydney

Beams Festival, Sep 2012 ~Sep 2016
“Color Party” at Osaka Japan Oct 2014
“Landfill Art” www.landfillart.org 2014
“Art in Threds” Group multi cultural exhibition and fashion show April 2014
“Continuum” at COFA Space Sydney Nov 2013
“Mixed Media Moments” at Art Moment Gallery, Bondi, Australia March 2013
“Tomorrow, Today” COFA Honours final show, Sydney Nov 2012
Kudos award, arc, cofa Oct 2012
Paddington Art Prize at Menzies Art Brands Gallery, Oct 2011

Award and Grants

Highly Commended artwork “Awareness of Between-ness: A Day After My Father’s Departure – Self-Portrait in His Room on His Chair” at Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize Aug 2025
Cambridge University conference “Trust and Truth” AHRC invited presenter Oct 2019
Hidden Sculpture prize Elite Funeral Directors Award 2018
ANU scholarship award 2017
“Tree Veneration Society receivedCity’s grants and sponsorship program by City of Sydney 2015
Australian Postgraduate Award 2015
Dean’s List 2012

Publication (Print & Online) and collection

Daniel Browning Interview on the Guardian October 2023 https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/oct/07/close-to-the-subject-daniel-browning-interview
Realising Mother exhibition catalogue 2017
Political Sociologies of the Cultural Encounter: A Symposium Poster
North Sydney News, 2017
North Sydney Art Prize exhibition catalogue 2017
Global Social Theory, http://globalsocialtheory.org/concepts/cosmopolitanism/
Aesthetica magazine, Aug/Sep 2016 issue, Issue 72, ISSN1743-2715,
Contemporary Art Awards Final Exhibition 2015, Exhibition catalogue ISBN978-0-646-95331-5,
Art Almanac February 2016, ISSN0313-220x
Blake Prize Director’s cut, 2016
Beams Festival Light installation, 2016
UNSW works, “Awareness of Between-ness: Katami, once a possession of the deceased”, 2015
Today, Tomorrow, 2012 COFA Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours), ISBN 978-0-9871382-2-5
Japan Art directory in Australia, http://jad.jpf-sydney.org/artists/miho-watanabe/index.html
Private collection by Marlene Antico from Paddinton Art prize and Daniel Browning from ABC radio
Private collection in Japan, Australia and London