Married to a Japanese spouse, Risa Wada is a Malaysian artist based in Tokyo, Japan, whose practice explores the intersection of nature, emotion and perception. Initially trained in fashion design and business administration, Wada spent eighteen years in investment banking before returning to her early passion for art. In 2016, she began the Wild Desert Cactus series, inspired by her cat Toro and an evolving interest in the concept of Anima-the soul or spirit of plants and trees. Her work merges the natural world with human experience, drawing on influences from Yayoi Kusama and Joan Miró to investigate how contemporary art can transform perception. Her solo exhibitions include 'Yasuragi - Repose' at Younie Gallery, Kuala Lumpur (2019), and 'ANIMA MEA' at Gallery Kujaku, Tokyo (2023). In 2022, she was invited to exhibit at 'Personal Structures' at European Cultural Centre (ECC) in Venice, Italy, running alongside the Venice Biennale. That same year, she undertook an art short course at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, further situating her practice within an international contemporary art discourse.

现居日本东京的马来西亚艺术家莉沙和田,早年受训于服装设计以及工商管理,随后在投资银行任职十八年。退休后重返儿时梦想,正式投身艺术创作。2016年,她发现爱猫Toro时常长久凝视家中的仙人掌,遂幻想花草树木是否拥有灵魂(拉丁语'Anima'),由此开启首个《荒漠仙人掌》创作系列。首次个展《Yasuragi-恬静》于吉隆坡颜丽轩画廊(2019)举办,2023年于东京Gallery Kujaku举办第二次个展。2022年,受邀参加意大利威尼斯欧洲文化中心举办的第六届“Personal Structures”展览,该展与威尼斯双年展同期举行。同年,修读伦敦艺术大学中央圣马丁学院短期艺术课程,将其创作实践进一步纳入国际当代艺术的话语框架。