Yasumasa Morimura's Masterful Shapeshifting

Yasumasa Morimura, Une moderne Olympia, 2018. Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York. © Yasumasa Morimura

Yasumasa Morimura, Self-Portraits through Art History (What Leonardo’s Face Says), 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York. © Yasumasa Morimura

Yasumasa Morimura, Self-Portraits through Art History (Two Caravaggios / David Painting Goliath), 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York. © Yasumasa Morimura

Yasumasa Morimura, Self-Portraits through Art History (Van Gogh / Blue), 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York. © Yasumasa Morimura

Yasumasa Morimura, Self-Portraits through Art History (Le Brun on the Witness Stand), 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York. © Yasumasa Morimura

Yasumasa Morimura, Self-Portraits through Art History (Dürer’s Hand is Another Face), 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York. © Yasumasa Morimura

Yasumasa Morimura, Still from Egó Obscura, 2018. Courtesy of the artist. © Yasumasa Morimura

Yasumasa Morimura, Self-Portraits through Art History (Van Eyck in a Red Turban), 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York. © Yasumasa Morimura

The first solo exhibition in New York City by Osaka-based artist Yasumasa Morimura will open at Japan Society Gallery on October 12. The show highlights Morimura’s ambitious 30-year practice of deconstructing the concept of “the self” through elaborately re-staged images of historical and cultural icons. “His exploration challenges traditional notions of gender, sexuality, and cultural identity, and critiques the power dynamics of Western culture and postwar Japanese history,” writes the gallery in a statement.

Ego Obscura, curated by Japan Society Gallery Director Yukie Kamiya, takes as its point of departure the artist’s acclaimed photographic self-portraits, for which he transforms himself into famous subjects from masterpieces of European painting and notable figures from the twentieth century.

“Since his participation in international art exhibitions in the 1980s, Morimura has been a leading figure in bringing contemporary Japanese art to a global platform. Not only does his work offer a deeper understanding of Japanese identity within a Western context, it also inspires important dialogues between cultures in an age where self-reflection and identity are constantly examined,” said Kamiya.

To commemorate Morimura’s ability to transform himself and his surroundings into those of his subjects, Japan Society will turn the Sky Room, located adjacent to the Gallery, into a re-creation of the interior of a Vincent van Gogh painting. Visitors will be able to immerse themselves into a Van Gogh work—just as Morimura does in his portraits—for a unique experience and photo opportunity.

A schedule of programming related to Ego Obscura is available on the Japan Society website.

Yasumasa Morimura: Ego Obscura
Japan Society Gallery
October 12,2018 – January 13, 2019

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