Lecture | Contemporary Asian art

The Next Big Thing! Five Contemporary Japanese Artists

A distinguished panel of experts in Japan has nominated five Japanese artists to present the new wave of the Japanese contemporary art scene. The group includes Shiho Kagabu, Gaetan Kubo, Mariko Tomomasa, Yuta Nakamura and Yasuka Goto, and encompasses works in a variety of media from cutting-edge installations to beautiful black-ink drawings. Followed by a reception.

About the Artists
Ms. Yasuka Goto's career as an artist began in 2005, with works such as “Kurigohan” (2005) and “Yosegaki” (2008), both of which were inspired by her grandfather’s war experience. In addition to archival research, Ms. Goto conducts in-depth field research, talking extensively to people to gather information before the creative process begins. Her drawings are characterized by the use of black ink on canvas, and each drawing overflows with the narrative, work, and experience of her models.

Ms. Shiho Kagabu’s art work expresses the changes that occur when people and objects interact with one another. She places things such as animals, waste materials, plants, and everyday items in different combinations at various locations. Some of her works also incorporate words, sounds or performances, and engage the entire context of time and place.


Mr. Gaetan Kubo is an artist who creates large-scale installations from everyday items such as home appliances. His 2013 exhibition “Hysterical Complex” was conceived under the idea that the artist himself had developed an imaginary illness with the same name. Focusing on the treatment process of this mysterious illness, the exhibit featured a series of installations including a device that simulated the poltergeist phenomenon—the unexplained movement of objects—viewed by Kubo as a symptom of Hysterical Complex, as well as medical equipment that incorporated historical psychoanalytic approaches.

Mr. Yuta Nakamura received his PhD in art from Kyoto Seika University in 2011. His dissertation was titled “Views about industrial arts in suburban houses: acceptance of white tiles used for the bathrooms in the Taisho Period.” Mr. Nakamura is a part-time lecturer at Kyoto Seika University and Kyoto University of Art and Design. He is engaged in the theory and production of tiles and ceramic wares from the viewpoint of architectural industrial arts. He is running a curriculum called “APP ARTS STUDIO” to deepen the knowledge of industrial arts as applied arts and look at their production method from the viewpoint of producers.

Ms. Mariko Tomomasa received her PhD from the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, in 2012. Ms. Tomomasa mainly works with videos, photographic expressions, and installations.