Onespace is delighted to announce the representation of Elysha Rei. Elysha Rei (b. 1986, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia) is a Japanese-Australian artist based in Brisbane, Australia. Her work investigates the intersections of memory, identity, and belonging through the versatile medium of paper—often expanding into large-scale public artworks fabricated in durable materials such as metal and architectural finishes. Known for her meticulous hand-cut designs, Rei creates site-specific installations that weave together archival narratives, historical research, and cross-cultural identity.
Rei holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the University of Southern Queensland (2008), an MBA (2018), and is currently pursuing a PhD at the Queensland University of Technology. Her doctoral research explores how Nikkei Australian identity and history are archived through contemporary paper-cutting arts practice.
Her works have been exhibited widely across Australia and internationally, including at the International Paper Biennale Global Papier 6 (Germany, 2024), and commissioned by Brisbane Quarter (2025), PUNQ Festival (2024), Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (Toronto, 2023), BrisAsia Festival (2023, 2016), The Westin Brisbane (2018), QIC Toowoomba (2017), Brisbane City Council (2018, 2020), and Warwick Regional Council (2019).
In 2025, Rei represented Artisan Queensland Craft and Design at the Australian Pavilion at World Expo 2025 Osaka, participating in the cultural delegation Weaving Tomorrow’s Stories: Queensland’s Contemporary Craft and Design. Her upcoming exhibition, The Archive of Paper, will open at N.E.S.T. Gallery AlUla in April 2026 as the culmination of her ongoing Paper Echoes project—a cross-cultural research and production residency in Saudi Arabia exploring materiality, memory, and belonging.
Her works are held in the collections of the Shayher Group’s Brisbane Quarter, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, QIC, The Westin Brisbane, Warwick Regional Council, Brisbane City Council, and The Japanese House in Ingham.
Photo: Louis Lim. Courtesy of the artist and Onespace.
