Mika Okumura was born in 1974 in Kyoto and earned her Doctor of Fine Arts from Kyoto University of the Arts. As a Nihonga artist, she seeks to capture "the fleeting moment—irreplaceable and unrepeatable—and immerse it within a world of memory and reverie" through her paintings.

Her artistic journey has been marked by significant recognition. She received the Sōga Possession Award at the Sōga Exhibition in 2002, the Grand Prize at the Higashiyama Kaii Memorial Nikkei Nihonga Grand Prize in 2006, and the Kyoto City New Artist Award in the same year, affirming her as an emerging voice in contemporary Nihonga.

Okumura has presented compelling solo exhibitions such as In Search of Shangri-La, Winds of Grace, and To the Utopia, each unveiling her unique poetic landscapes. In 2023, she held an exhibition titled Port of Call, which conveyed the sense of an inner pilgrimage and spiritual reflection.

Currently serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Japanese Painting at Kyoto City University of Arts, Okumura continues to shape the future of Nihonga both as an educator and as an artist, maintaining a firm presence in the Japanese art world.