In this special online talk event, acclaimed artists Mohri Yuko, Takano Ryudai and Yamaguchi Akira will introduce their work and talk about Tokyo. Despite using different artistic media, ranging from woodblock printing to photography and installation, their art has similarly been inspired by the metropolis. How is Tokyo shown in their works? How has living in Tokyo impacted their practise? What does Tokyo mean to them? The artists are joined by curator Lena Fritsch, who recently included their works of art in the Ashmolean Museum's exhibition Tokyo: Art & Photography (running until 3 January 2022) which is supported by the Japan Foundation.

The exhibition is a celebration of one of the world’s most creative, dynamic and fascinating cities. Including works on loan from Japan and new commissions by contemporary artists, the show spans the exquisite arts of the Edo period and the iconic woodblock images of Hiroshige to photographic installations.

About the speakers

(Moderator) Dr Lena Fritsch is the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. She has researched Japanese art for over fifteen years with publications including Tokyo: Art & Photography (2021), Ravens & Red Lipstick: Japanese Photography since 1945 (2018), an English-language version of Moriyama Daido’s Tales of Tono (2012), The Body as a Screen: Japanese Art Photography of the 1990s (2011), and Yasumasa Morimura’s Self-Portrait as Actress (2008). Fritsch holds a PhD in art history from Bonn University, and also studied at Keio University, Tokyo.

MOHRI Yuko lives and works in Tokyo. She works on installations that detect invisible and intangible energies such as gravity, magnetic and wind. Her major solo exhibitions include: “SP.” (Ginza Sony Park, Tokyo, Japan, 2020); “Voluta” (Camden Arts Centre, London, UK, 2018); “Assume That There Is Friction and Resistance” (Towada Arts Center, Aomori, Japan, 2018). She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions such as: “34th Bienal de São Paulo” (São Paulo, Brazil, 2021); “Glasgow International 2021” (Glasgow, UK, 2021); “The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art” (Brisbane, Australia, 2018); “14th Biennale de Lyon” (Lyon, France, 2017); “Yokohama Triennale” (Kanagawa, Japan, 2014). She is also the grantee of the Asian Cultural Council for a 6-month residency in New York (2015) and the recipient of the Grand Prix, Nissan Art Award (2015); The 67th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists (2017). In 2018, Mohri, as East Asian Cultural Exchange Envoy, visited 4 cities in China.

TAKANO Ryudai is a photographer born in 1963 in Fukui. He has been engaged in his artistic practice on the theme of sexuality since 1994, in 2005 winning the Kimura Ihei Award for In My Room. Since then he has produced a number of works viewing the “down there” matter of sexual desire in the context of its relationship to the likes of identity and social norms, including How to contact a man, which explores the theme of sexuality in pornographic format; and With me, whose unguarded expressions of sexuality led to trouble with the police. In addition, Takano has produced series that question the notion of a hierarchy of value in visual representation, including the Reclining Woo-Man series of “unmarketable” body images; and Kasubaba, which captures very familiar yet neglected parts of the distinctively Japanese urban landscape. Since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011, Takano has been engaged in various projects on the theme of shadows.

YAMAGUCHI Akira (b. 1969, Tokyo) grew up in the Gunma prefecture and graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts with a MA in Oil Painting in 1996. His work is characterized by a style of painting which uses the technique of oil painting within the traditional Japanese painting style. Known for painting bird’s-eye views of cities and battlefields, he traverses a variety of methods of expression including sculpture, manga, and installation. He has exhibited many shows both internationally and domestically. He has contributed public artworks in several locations including Narita International Airport and Nihonbashi Station (Tokyo Metro). He has also produced the official art poster for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.