Yao Mikami

Visual Artist. Born in Central Japan and now making a living as a contemporary visual artist in Australia, Yao studied traditional Japanese print technique in Nagoya Zokei University of Art & Design before leaving Japan to expand her knowledge and skills. Yao studied traditional European master painting techniques in The Netherlands and Italy and continued to travel, before settling in Australia. Over the last 10 years, Yao has continued to study under master painters from around the world, including Austria, USA, Canada, UK and Peru.

Yao makes many of her own art materials, including egg tempera and natural pigments. She is conscious about what materials she uses for painting, opting for plant-based equipment and ingredients, natural solvents and resin, and always minimising waste. Yao began performing as a live painting artist in 2014 and introduced liquid light art to her skill set in 2019. Her role in Liquidelic is to help create the story of a set, compose the moving art pieces in collaboration with dance and music, and perform as a live visual artist on stage.