// Professional background
Beniko arrived in Portugal in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in craft design from TAMA university of art in Tokyo, a diploma on Glassmaking and a deep love for all things light and reflections.
She very quickly fell in love with the light of Lisbon and decided to stay and complement her formation in the Advanced Course of Fine arts of Ar.Co (art and visual communication centre in Lisbon).
It was a natural step to combine the acquired knowledge and her great passion for oriental cultures – both its artistic and spiritual side – in order to develop different forms of performing arts. Beniko Tanaka has held many collaborations, shows and performances of Japanese shadow puppetry in solo and in collaboration with various institutions.
// Performances & Theaters
2020
:: Shadow puppet performance “ Tenshô”, Auditory of musical group Miragaia – festival Cultura em Expansão / Porto
:: Shadow puppetry – video “ João Pêssego enfrenta o CoronOni”- Literary Festival / Macau, China. Also on Youtube (Canal SOLTA)
:: Workshop making shadow puppet show for adult people at Confederação in Miragaia- festival Cultura em Expansão / Porto
:: The third, workshop for educative agentes – at Largo Residências / Lisbon
:: Outras Ilhas , theater performance with Claudio Hochman- at Festival Bairro em Festa – Largo Residências / Lisbon
:: Workshop Fukuwarai, tradicional japanese games – Festival Bairro em Festa – Largo Residências / Lisbon
:: For the kids and us staying home – shadow puppet animation – Embaixada & Fundação do Japão / Lisboa e Tóquio, on Youtube
:: The second, workshop for educative agentes – at Largo Residências / Lisbon
:: Shadow puppet performance “Saint Elizabeth of Portugal” via internet – Lisbon, on Youtube (Canal SOLTA)
:: The first, workshop for educative agentes – at Largo Residências / Lisbon
:: “Másca e Beniko” for the atelier abertos – Largo Residência/ Lisbon, on Youtube (Canal SOLTA)
:: Shadow puppetry workshop for familiy and children – Largo Residências / Lisbon
:: Exhibition Taketori Monogatari, prints and paper works – Largo café estúdio / Lisbon
2019
:: shadow puppet “ Kassako-Jizô” at Casa-Museu Teixeira Lopes – Embassy of Japan & City hall of Vila Nova de Gaia / Vila Nova de Gaia
:: “Samurai puppets!” puppet making workshop for children – at Cinemateca Portuguesa Júnior/ Lisbon
:: “TENSHO” Shadow puppet – in Next Stop festival, Subway of Lisbon, Largo residencies, City hall of Lisbon/ Lisbon
:: “The 4 boys of Japoneira” Shadow puppet, at São Bento rail station, Porto-city of camellia Exhibition-City hall of Porto/ Porto
:: “The charcoal little boy” Shadow puppet, at Sala de estar no Palácio nacional de Sintra, / Sintra
:: “ ASOBÍ-UTÁ” Haiku-Rap performance, at Pensão Amor, / Lisbon
:: Tensho, a history of palace of Bragança – Festivitas Natalis in Minami-Shimabara, Japan / Vila-Viçosa
:: Exhibition Taketori Monogatari, paper works – Bonsai Japanese restaurant / Lisbon
:: Workshop of shadow puppetry – Matrix / Porto
:: Universidade Júnior, workshop of shadow puppetry talking Japanese! – University of Porto / Porto
:: Workshop Tanabata-Tanzaku – Festival Bairro intendente – Largo Residências / Lisbon
:: Shadow puppet “TENSHÔ” – Festival Bairro intendente – Largo Residências / Lisbon
:: Hostess of Festival do Japão em Lisboa 2019 – organized by Embassy of Japan / Lisbon
:: “Miragem Miragem” – school project, Lavrar o Mar / Odemira
2018
:: “The dream bread”, “The charcoal little boy” Shadow puppet – at São Roque museum, Santa Casa / Lisbon
:: “Teatro Maria Flaminga” – in Festival Todos / Lisbon
:: “Yume no paon” Shadow puppet, at Centro curtural Arima / Minami Shimabara, Nagasaki, Japan
:: “Avozinhosan no Sumi” Shadow puppet, at Plaza communication center / Hiroshima, Japan
:: “ Bum Blue Bee” Shadow puppet, at studio Minomushi/ Kyoto, Japan
:: “ Avozinhosan no Sumi” Shadow puppet, at City hall Oshima / Izu-Oshima, Japan
:: “The dream bread” Shadow puppet, at Escola primaria Seibu- kids medical camp / Karuizawa, Japan
:: “Avozinhosan no Sumi” Shadow puppet, at Hanamaki help-kids communication center/ Iwate, Japan
:: “The dream bread” Shadow puppet, at citizens library of Tono/ Iwate, Japan
:: “Avozinhosan no sumi” Shadow puppet, at new Tokyo center / Tokyo, Japan
:: Hostess of “ Japan Festival in Lisbon” – sponsored by Japan embassy / Lisbon, Portugal
:: “Morães-san and the cult of the tea” Shadow puppet – at Espaço Zero / Lisbon
:: “Morães-san and the cult of the tea” Shadow puppet – Exposição de camélias do Porto, – at Bolsa palace/ Porto
2017
:: “BumBlueBee” Shadow puppet – at Conto do vigario / Lisboa
:: Producing an evento “Japonic” –with a suport of Japanese embassy – at Flores do cabo / Sintra
:: Hostess of “ Japan Festival in Lisbon” – sponsored by Japan embassy / Lisbon, Portugal
:: “Morães-san and the cult of tea” Shadow puppet –at Espaço Zero / Lisboa
:: “Morães-san and the cult of tea” Shadow puppet – Porto city of Camellia, – at Bolsa palace / Porto
2016
“Mr. Japoneira” , “Dream bread” Shadow puppet at Marionette Museum / Lisbon, Portugal
“Mr. Japoneira” Shadow puppet at Tsubaki primary school / Tokyo, Japan
“Namban-Jin” Shadow puppet at Premier KUBO Universal film animation, Cinema centro comercial Colombo / Lisbon
Adaptation & Interpretation for japanese artists at Festival SOA,
Doc Lisboa and Banda Dongara / Lisbon and O Porto
“HAIKU night” organization & presentation / Lisbon, Portugal
“Mother fortress” Shadow puppet & Performance at A Salto festival / Elvas, Portugal
Hostess of “ Japan Festival in Lisbon” – sponsored by Japan embassy / Lisbon, Portugal
“Moonlight Princess” Shadow puppet at EI Marionetas Festival / Gondomar, Portugal
“KASSAKO JIZÔ” Shadow puppet at Espaço Zero / Lisbon, Portugal
“Namban-Jin” Shadow puppet – Camellia exhibition at Casa de Serralves / Porto, Portugal
2015
KassakoJizo – Shadow puppet at Marionette Museum / Lisbon, Portugal
Dreamy bread- shadow puppet at Aterier Minomushi / Kyoto, Japan
Queen Isabel shadow puppet for Luso-Japan / Osaka, Japan
Dreamy bread shadow puppet at Yakumodai primary school / Tokyo, Japan
Queen Isabel shadow puppet at Puk pura theater / Tokyo, Japan
CLARALUA shadow puppet at Lisbon Marionette museum / Lisbon, Portugal
Mr. Japoneira shadow puppet at Porto city of Camellia / Porto, Portugal
2014
Festival de Japão em Lisboa presented by Embassy of Japan / Belém, Portugal
Shadow theater Rainha Santa Isabel at Atelier Minomushi / Kyoto, Japan
Festival da Marionetta IIDA / Nagano, Japan
Memoria d’acqua recordando lo Tsunami at Forte Marghera / Venice, Italy
Chiaraluna shadow puppet theater at Teatro Frari / Venice, Italy
Opera Brundibar shadow puppet theater at Palazzo Grimani / Venice, Italy
2013
Opera Don Giovanni shadow puppet at Telecom Future Center / Venice, Italy
Shitakiri suzume with Japanese Marionette Theater Minomushi / Lisbon, Porto, Évora ,Portugal
Magic laundry line with Amazing marionette / Stockholm, Sweden
Deep Blue Bird at Roundabout / Lisbon, Portugal
Encontro International Marionetas / Montemor o novo, Portugal
Chasing at Teatro Gioco Vita workshop / Piacenza, Italy
Festival de Japão em Lisboa presented by Embassy of Japan / Belém, Portugal
Shadow theater BumBlueBee at Lycée Français Charles Le Pierre/ Lisbon, Portugal
Monkeysoup Shaka shadows and performance at Guilherme Cossoul/ Lisbon, Portugal
2012
Gueixa na Igreja at KYUBIC cllective / Lisbon, Portugal
Shadow Theater Nichiyoubi at Festival Lisboa Mistura / Lisbon, Portugal
Shadow Theater A Garça at Lycée Français Charles Le Pierre/ Lisbon, Portugal
Performance Linking birds at Bacalhoeiro / Lisbon, Portugal
Festival de Japão em Lisboa presented by Embassy of Japan / Belém, Portugal
Performance BLUE MEDIA at Atelier Concorde/ Lisbon, Portugal
Performance&Shadow theater BumBlueBee at Quebra Costas/ Lisbon Portugal
// Solo&Group Exhibitions
2017
:: Favura Urvis – / Lisboa
:: Exposição Japonic – / Flores do cabo / Lisboa
2014
Taketori monogatari
printings / Castelfranco,Italy
2013
Playing Calligraphy at Cafe Tati / Lisbon, Portugal
3 escritos at LeYa na Barata / Lisbon, Portugal
2012
KYUBIC collective artists exhibition / Lisbon, Portugal
Acervo at Atelier Concorde / Lisbon, Portugal
2011
Drawings of models at one day Gallery / Lisbon, Portugal
Fellows and Finalists of Ar.Co at Palácio da Gaiveias / Lisbon, Portugal
2010
Gallery Secro Novo / Lisboa, Portugal
2009
Open Studio 09, Ar.Co at Quinta de S. Miguel / Almada, Portugal
// Workshops
2015
Bow-wow puppets at Nacional museum of science and history of nature in Lisbon / Lisbon, Portugal
Mascara e Dança with animation at Museu da Marioneta em lisboa / Lisbon, Portugal
2014
Brincadeiras Japonesas at Museu do Oriente / Lisbon, Portugal
Talk_Portuguese Marionettes / Nagano, Japan
2013
Origami ROSE / Cascais, Portugal
Origami PoP e Singing Japanese! / Lisbon, Portugal
2012
Lanterna com papéis at LARGO residência / Lisbon, Portugal
Teatro das sombras at Museu da Marioneta / Lisbon Portugal
Songs and hand gestures at Lycée Français Charles le Pierre / Lisbon Portugal
2011
Origami POP! at Santos POP / Lisbon, Portugal
2010
What my hands teach me at Eclipse Art / Lisbon, Portugal
// Books & Work in translation
Translation in Japanese for “Do Japão para Alentejo” by Tiago Salgueiro
// Education / Academic Background
2013
Shadows and new media – Teatro Gioco Vita / Piacenza, Italy
2008 – 2010
Advanced Courses in Visual Arts of Ar.Co – Centro de Arte e Comunicação Visual / Lisbon, Portugal
2006 – 2008
Drawing Course of Ar.Co – Centro de Arte e Comunicação Visual / Lisbon, Portugal
2005 – 2006
Portuguese language course of University of Lisbon / Portugal
1996 – 2000
3D Design, Art and Craft design of TAMA Art university / Tokyo, Japan