CV/Bio
Born in Japan in 1965, Minako Ota trained as a studio artist in traditional Japanese painting techniques in a Tokyo’s Tama Art University. After graduating, she left Japan and decided to change direction, studying painting conservation in USA (Virginia Commonwealth University, 1988) and eventually in UK, graduating from University of Cambridge in 1992.
She has worked for some of the world’s great museums, including Victoria and Albert in London and The Chicago Art Institute in USA. Minako restored some of the world’s great art collections, including paintings owned by the British Parliament and by the Queen of England, a Rubens and a Monet.
After moving to Moscow in 2006, Minako decided to return to her roots as a painter. Currently she has a new base in Princeton, NJ, as of summer in 2017. She has exhibited her work in Japan, Russia, USA and France.
----------Selected Exhibitions---------------------------------------------------
2020 International Juried Show "Beauty Beyond Borders " - the second prize -National Art Center, Tokyo Japan
2017 Solo Exhibitoin: Fire Rooster and His Friends at Art-Constantis, Moscow
2012 Solo Exhibition: Long Way Home at The Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Arts, Moscow
2011 Exhibition - Home Away From Home - The Hammond Museum, NY
2010 Artspan Self Portrait Contest on Facebook worldwide. Bronze Medal
2010 Artsbridge Annual Juried Show at Riverrun Gallery, Lambertville, NJ. Honorable Mention
2009 Solo exhibition - Annam Heritage, Paris, France
2009 Audubon Artists 67th Annual Show - Salmagundi Club, New York City
2008 Solo exhibition in Moscow, Russia
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1995-2007 Private practice in painting restoration. Princeton, NJ, USA
1994-1995 Simon Gillespie Studio of Restoration. London, UK
1993 Painting Conservation Department of the Art Institute of Chicago, Il, USA
1992 Painting Restoration Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
1989-1992 Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge
Graduated with Diploma and Certificate in Painting Restoration. Cambridge, UK
1984-1988 Japanese Painting at Tama Art University, Tokyo, Japan. Graduated with BA.