Ryo Utsunomiya
Ryo Utsunomiya is a visual artist whose practice originates in wildlife photography and expands into immersive experiences combining sound, light, and spatial design. His work transcends documentation, transforming animals into poetic and symbolic presences that reawaken human sensory and emotional awareness.
His visual language ranges from serene and mysterious to strikingly immersive, reimagining the relationship between humans and the natural world through recurring motifs and perceptual interventions.
Beyond his artistic production, Utsunomiya actively engages in cross-disciplinary collaborations, exhibition curation, and education. He has served as artistic director for music festivals, lecturer in liberal arts and museum programs, and collaborator with global brands such as ARC’TERYX and Jeep.
In 2024, he was named MUSE Photographer of the Year at the international MUSE Photography Awards. He also contributes to the global photographic community as a juror for major competitions and as 500px ambassador and head curator of 1x.com, a Sweden-based photography platform.
Artists whose works are in the public collection of the Asago Art village Museum of Art.
Partnership and Collaborators
- 500px Ambassador / Editors’ choice curator (Ambassador’s Pick)
- 1x.com Head curator(Sweden)
- Jeep Ambassador
- ARC’TERYX Photography Instructor
- Himeji International School, Museum seminar, Lecturer
- Glamorous Fall Brocade — Concert | Planning & Art Direction
Public Collection
- Asago Art Village Museum(Japan)
Awards
- WPC 2026 “World Photographic Cup”
Team Japan - MUSE Photography Awards 2024
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR(Professional), NewYork - PX3 2024 Prix de la Photographer de Paris
Silver Winner(Professional), Paris - WPE Awards 2024,2025
Silver Award, EUR - Luxembourg Art Prize 2024/2025
CERTIFICATE OF ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT, Luxembourg - ONE EYELAND Top10 WILDLIFE Photographers 2024
World RANK #5 / Japan RANK #1 - ONE EYELAND Photography Awards 2023
Country RANK #1
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR -JAPAN- - NEW YORK Photography Awards 2023
Gold Winner(Professional), NewYork - TIFA2023 Tokyo International Foto Awards
Silver Winner(Professional), Japan - IPA2023 International Photography Awards
Honorable Mention(Professional), USA - ND Awards 2022/2023
Honorable Mention(Professional), UK - WWF Diary PhotoContest 2021
Excellence Award, WWF Japan - ASATEN2021
1st Place, Japan
Many more…
Exhibition
2025
- Solo “Noise“
Asago Art Village（Hyogo, Japan）
Sat, 20 Sept – Sun, 26, Oct - Exhibition “Reverb“
Asago Art Village Gallery Shikisai (Hyogo, Japan)
Guest: LÍdia Vives (Spain)
Fri, 2 May 2025 – Tue, 6 May 2025 - Solo”KYOMEI”
Himeji International School(Himeji, Japan) - Solo “Echo“
Alpino Ginka Gallery (Omiya, Saitama, Japan)
2024
- MUSE Photography Awards Virtual Exhibition
IAA Global(NewYork) - ARC’TERYX MUSEUM
ARC’TERYX (Tokyo,Japan) - Concert ～Glamorous Fall Brocade～
Artistic Director [Guest:Ryo Gojoin]
(Hyogo, Japan) - Charity Exhibition
Renaissance square Gallery (Himeji, Japan) - Charity Exhibition
Asago art village Museum Gallery Shikisai (Hyogo・Japan) - Art 2024 Japanese Zodiac Exhibition: Dragon
Asago art village Museum(Asago, Japan)
2023
- Solo「Promised Ones」
Asago art village Museum Gallery SHIKISAI (Hyogo・JP) - Solo「Sign」
Himeji Civic Gallery(Himeji, JP) - Solo「World of silence」
Asago art village Museum Gallery SHIKISAI(Hyogo・JP) - Solo「Beginning」
Alpino Ginka Gallery（Saitama・JP) - Group「IKUNOGAKUEN Art Exhibition」
IkunoGakuen(Hyogo, JP) - NewYork Photography Awards Virtual Exhibition
IAA Global(NewYork) - Art 2023 Japanese Zodiac Exhibition: Rabbit
Asago art village Museum(Asago, JP) - Charity Exhibition
Asago art village Museum Gallery Shikisai (Hyogo・Japan) - Charity Exhibition
Renaissance square Gallery (Himeji, Japan) - ASAGO Art and Music Festival
Music Concert collaboration（Asago, JP)
2022
- Solo 〜Going My Way〜
Himeji Civic Gallery(Himeji, JP) - Solo 〜Ryo Utsunomiya Exhibition〜
Toyoka street Gallery(JP) - Solo 〜Ryo Utsunomiya Exhibition〜
Fujino Art Villege（Kanagawa, JP) - Solo 〜Art of The Earth〜
Asago art village Museum Gallery SHIKISAI(Hyogo・JP) - Solo 〜To Live is to Love〜
Izutsuya Gallery (Asago, JP) - Art 2022 Japanese Zodiac Exhibition: Tiger
Asago art village Museum(Asago, JP) - Charity Exhibition
Asago art village Museum Gallery Shikisai (Hyogo・Japan) - Music Concert collaboration
Bon Caf’e(Miyazaki, JP) - 「Art Exhibition 2022」
Himeji City Museum of Art (Himeji, JP) - ASAGO Art and Music Festival
Music Concert collaboration（Asago, JP）
2021
- Solo 〜Ryo Utsunomiya Exhibition〜
Izutsuya Gallery (Hyogo, JP) - Group 〜MOKU・SOU〜
Asago art village Museum(Asago, JP) - Group 〜Nature Photography and Dying〜
Asago art village Museum Gallery SHIKISAI(Hyogo・JP) - Charity Exhibition
Asago art village Museum Gallery SHIKISAI(Hyogo・JP)
Jury
- ONEEYELAND TOP10 WILDLIFE 2025
- 500px GLOBAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2025
- 500px & GITZO “Animals:Quesstmas”
- NewYork Photography Awards 2025
- European Photography Awards 2025
- London Photography Awards 2025
- Global Photography Awards 2025
- MUSE Photography Awards 2025
- ONEEYELAND TOP10 MOBILE 2024
- European Photography Awards 2024
- NewYork Photography Awards 2024
- London Photography Awards 2024
- Global Photography Awards 2024
