Lena Okamoto

Lena Okamoto is a Tokyo-based contemporary textile artist and the founder of ikasu, an art brand dedicated to transforming antique and vintage Japanese kimono into one-of-a-kind contemporary artworks.

Originally from Russia, she studied Japanese culture before relocating to Japan, where she has lived for more than twenty years and earned a master's degree from the University of Tokyo.

She later worked as a creative professional at one of Japan's leading advertising agencies, graduated with top honors from Ogilvy & Mather Creative School, and became a certified Kimono Meister, deepening her expertise in the history, craftsmanship, and cultural significance of kimono.

Guided by the belief that cultural heritage should not simply be preserved but continue to live into the future, she reconstructs antique and vintage kimono into artworks that resonate with contemporary spaces.

Using carefully selected historic textiles sourced from across Japan, her work carries forward the beauty, craftsmanship, and memories embedded within each fabric.

Her artworks have been exhibited internationally and are recognized for their distinctive fusion of Japanese cultural heritage, contemporary art, and sustainability.

I've been showing an early interest in art and began drawing and painting at a young age. I moved to Japan after finishing art high school, getting bachelors at Oriental studies. After working as creative director in major advertising company in Tokyo, I turned my attention to spreading Japanese art traditions around the world.

2008–2014 Tokyo University: Master's degree
2012–2013 Ogilvy & Mather Creative School : Graduated with top records
2023 Kimono Meister Licence

[EXHIBITIONS]
2026 solo exhibition at THE LIVELY hotel Tokyo Azabu Jubam, Japan

2026 solo exhibition at sequence hotel Miyashita Park, Tokyo, Japan

2025 solo exhibition at Isetan Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia

2025 solo exhibition at Four Seasons Dubai, UAE

2025 solo exhibition at Akomeya Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

2024 solo exhibition "Reborn", Hankyu Umeda, Hankyu Umeda, Japan

2024 exhibition at Isetan Salone, Tokyo, Japan

2024 solo exhibition at Daikanyama Gallery, Center of Art and Design Daikanyama TSUTAYA, Tokyo, Japan

2024 solo exhibition at Nikiya, Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property Nikiya, Saitama, Japan

2023 solo exhibition tour at Takashimaya around Japan,
Takashimaya, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Yokohama, Japan

2023 solo exhibition "Phoenix", Gallery QUADRO, Tokyo, Japan

2023 βOOSTER STUDIO, PARCO Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

[ART FAIRS / AUCTIONS]
2026 (confirmed) Spectrum Miami at Miami Art Basel Week

2025 DiarBid Art House Auction, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2025 World Art Dubai, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2024 World Art Dubai, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates