Morimura Yasumasa, born in 1951 in Osaka, Japan, is internationally renowned appropriation artist. He appropriates universally well-known images derived from art history, mass media and pop culture to create unconventional and bold self-portrait renderings in photography, performance and video.
Through the extensive use of props, costumes, make-up and digital manipulation, Morimura masterfully transform s himself into recognizable subjects that punctuate the Western cultural canon. His unsettling deconstruction of iconic images challenges the assumptions already placed on such works / images while commenting on Japan’s complex and conflicting absorption of Western culture. His ability to satirize and simultaneously create homage of his source material is what makes Morimura’s work particularly forceful and effective.
Morimura’s latest series, the Requiem, has recently been shown in multiple museums and galleries in Europe, USA, and Japan and this exhibition marks his first solo exhibition in Singapore.
In addition to his usual still photographs, Morimura’s recent works and the focus of this exhibition are the video works of his performances. Ikkan Art Gallery has been transformed into several mini movie theatres where audience can enjoy the room-size projected video works, Morimura’s self-portraits in motion.
The Still Photographs
The Moving Images
The Beautifully Crafted / Packaged Boxes for The Videos
11th January to 25th February 2012
Ikkan Art Gallery
01-05 Artspace@Helutrans,
Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Kepple Road
Admission Free
Mondays to Saturdays 11am to 7pm
Sundays and Public Holidays 1pm to 5pm
Enquires: 9088 7056
www.ikkan-art.com
