Elysha Rei is a Japanese-Australian visual artist who works in paper cutting, installations and public art. Born in Saudi Arabia to Australian and Japanese parents, Rei and her family have lived in Thailand, New Zealand, Japan and Australia.
Her work draws upon her mixed heritage and transitions between places, cultures and communities, with a curiosity to examine her identity within a Japanese aesthetic. Rei’s work uses symbolic animals, plants and pattern within new environments, aiming to question notions of ‘tradition’ and attachment to ‘place’, while also researching site-specific narratives and history. Constant travel continues to inform Rei’s investigation into cultures and histories and her place within them.