EDUCATION

Folklore, MA, UC Berkeley
Key projects:

• The Politics of Paper Flowers: Connection, Continuity, and Contestation: research on the symbolism of paper flowers made during the Japanese American incarceration during WWII as an agential objects.
  
• Making the Mythical Material: Weeki Wachee, Mermaids, and the Institutionalized Folkloresque: research on the mermaiding performance practice at Weeki Wachee in Florida in relation to tourism, folk museums, and the nation-state.
  

Strategic Design & Management, BBA, Parsons The New School for Design
Key projects:

• Post-Snowden Aesthetics: trend forecast-inspired book that imagines possible cultural and aesthetics shifts around surveillance catalyzed by Edward Snowden's 2013 release of NSA papers.
  
• DataCafe.biz: an interactive installation that took the shape of a cafe where consumers pay for cookies with their personal data. The project consisted of spatial, web, interface, and print design along with machine learning and was exhibited at NYCxDesign week at Industry City. This project was made in collaboration with Noah Emrich, Chris Fussner, and Henry Lam.

RESIDENCIES

Fernland Studios, Remote/ Eugene, OR

• Ferland Studios is a residency that dedicates itself to the intersection of social justice, ecology and art. During my residency, I created a project about amas, a traditional cultural practice in Japan of women-only deep sea divers. This project investigated cultural heritage, ancestral lineage, and self mythology, and manifested through paintings, soft sculptures and writings.
  

Prelinger Library, San Francisco, CA

• Prelinger Library is an independent research library located in San Francisco’s South-of-Market neighborhood with a focus on vernacular printed matter. During my residency, I researched farmland and garden design of the Japanese American incarceration camps during WWII.
  

2727 California Street, Berkeley, CA

• 2727 California Street is an artist residency and after school arts program (No School) in Berkeley, California. During my residency, I created Camp Project, a project that attempts to investigate the intergenerational effects of Japanese American incarceration during WWII. The project resulted in four publications, two workshops, 20+ interviews, a residency talk and a visiting library.
  

856G Gallery, Cebu, Philippines

• 856G Gallery is a gallery in downtown Cebu in the Philippines that celebrates grassroots Filipino and international artists. My residency was with two other collaborators and we presented under our studio name, VSOON. Together, we created SARI SUKI 2050 which was an exhibition and installation exploring alternative tropical futures through a Filipino neighborhood convenience store, a “Sari-Sari.” Taking into consideration neighborhood economics, climate change, growing population and mass city migration as well as site-specific cultural notions and materials, we reimagined everyday objects and their future utility. 

SHOWS

2026 ART 120, group show, Vitrine Gallery case, Berkeley, CA

2025 Sidewalks, solo show, Two Two, Oakland, CA

2024 Self Portraits, group show, Atrium Gallery, Berkeley, CA

2024 Open Wall, group show, BMoCA, Boulder, CO

2023 - 2024 First Fridays & Group Shows, Crowd Collective, Boulder, CO

2019 Handmade, group show, New York, NY

2015 SARI SUKI 2050, solo show, 856 G Gallery, Cebu, Philippines [VSOON]

2014 Datacafe.biz, NYCxDesign week at Industry City, Brooklyn, NY [VSOON]

FEATURES + CONTRIBUTIONS

2025 Cake Zine’s Forbidden Fruit issue, Crush painting for Orange Crushed article

2024 FAR–NEAR 2024 Callendar, Quicksilver painting

2023 Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Virtual Studio Tour with Sophia Okada
Callahan

2023 Cake Zine’s Tough Cookie issue, Death of the Cookie article [VSOON]

2022 Varyer, An Ode to Pink & Green, article & product collaboration [Home Economics]

2021 Varyer, For Water Wine and Going Outside, interview & product collaboration [Home Economics]

2020 Homeroom, interview [Home Economics]

2020 Perfectly Imperfect newsletter, #28: Sophia Callahan

TALKS + PRESENTATIONS

2026 Paper Flowers Made During Japanese American Incarceration, Course: Intro to Archaeology, Professor Jun Suneri, UC Berkeley

2025 How to Make Paper Chrysanthemums, Course: Japanese American History, Professor Lisa Tsuchitani, UC Berkeley 

2025 Making the Mythical Material: Weeki Wachee, Mermaids, and the Institutionalized Folkloresque, American Folklore Society conference 

2025 Tricksters and other tricky-ass actors, Local Critique at Four Star Theater 

2022 Re? Search: Research Practices in Making, Course: Design Studio 1, Professor Yve Bee, Parsons The New School for Design  

2019 Camp Project, artist residency talk, 2727 California Street 

2015 Critical Design & Sari Suki 2050, University of San Carlos Cebu 

2015 The Future is “Trendy,” Parsons The New School for Design 

2014 Big Data and The Data Cafe, Course: Trend Forecasting, Professor Chris Tsuyuki, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) 

AWARDS

2025 UC Berkeley The Alan Dundes Graduate Fellowship

2025 UC Berkeley Academic Community Engaged Scholars (ACES) Grant

2024 UC Berkeley Block Fellowship

2024 Boulder Arts Week Grant


+ “VSOON” was collective from 2014 to 2017 that consisted of Noah Emrich, Chris Fussner, and Sophia Callahan

+ “Home Economics” was a brand/project that existed from 2020 to 2024 created by Sophia Callahan