Shīsā

‘SHISA’ ~ Shīsā are creatures from Okinawan mythology that stand watch and protect people from evil spirits. They are the Guardian Lions of Okinawa.

James Reka is an Australian contemporary artist and muralist, living in Europe - often jumping between Berlin and Malta, where he has his studio based.
Over the last 20 years of his artistic career, the development and evolution of Reka’s style has been inspired by movements such as Cubism, Mid-Century Modernism, Bauhaus & Surrealism - which revealed the mirage as a curve towards Abstraction. His art often explores themes such as consciousness, transcendence and the mystic. Further fascination of ancient cultures & civilisations, alchemy and mysticism, are apparent in his work.
Reka has developed an incredibly diligent, almost obsessive attention to the technical proficiency of his work, and it has moved him towards producing ever-increasingly meticulous detailed artworks and large-scale murals. The artist puts an extra care in executing his artwork with specific aesthetics, communicating through harmonious lines, curves, geometric shapes, fluid dynamic movements and bold intersecting vivid colours. No matter from what corner you will be looking at Reka’s paintings, their moving perspectives invite to reflection and optical illusion, through games of colours, symbolism and the use of sacred geometry.
His mystical surreal figures and abstracted sceneries haunt the urban landscape over four continents, clambering up the side of tall buildings & alley-ways - Offering the urban environment an unique perspective, whilst opening dialogue with the viewer in context with the surroundings.
On the streets, Reka’s artwork and murals adorn the walls and tall buildings of cities around the world including: Tokyo, Seoul, Buenos Aires, Montreal, London, Portsmouth, Bristol, Rome, Venice, Milan, Bari, Pinerolo, Stornara, Pescara, Paris, Lyon, Savigny-Le-Temple, Vienna, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bad Vilbel, Bayreuth, Krakow, Aalborg, Roskilde, Kyiv, Malta, Riyadh, Washington DC, Miami, Jacksonville, San Fancisco, Portland, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Sydney, Goldcoast, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne…
James Reka has successfully held solo exhibitions in Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Bristol, Chicago, San Francisco, Krakow, Aalborg, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. He was also invited to exhibit at the acclaimed Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in Bristol, UK. 
Reka’s works have recently been acquisitioned by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) for their permanent collection - Cementing his place as one of Australia’s most respected contemporary Urban Artists.

At WRAP UP Okinawa 2025 Festival produced by Wall Share with 三菱鉛筆・表現革新振興財団 in Okinawa city