Mari KATAYAMA
Born 1987 in Saitama and raised in Gunma, Japan. Graduated with a Master’s degree from the Department of Intermedia Art at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2012.
At the core of Mari Katayama’s practice is living everyday within her own body, which she uses as a living sculpture, mannequin and lens through which to reflect society. The combination of Katayama’s hand-sewn objects, sculptural pieces, and photography challenges viewers to ques- tion the body and its complex relationship with the surrounding environment and society.
At the same time, Katayama initiated an activist art project called High Heel Project, which aims to create high heel shoes for prosthetics, while demanding the freedom of choice for all no matter what physical ability they have. Wearing her symbolic pair of custom-made high heels, Katayama continues to walk and speak up widely as an artist, singer, model and keynote speaker.
Her major exhibitions include,”Performer and Participant” (Tate Modern, London, 2023) ,”home again” (Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, 2021), “58th Venice Biennale 2019” (Giardini and Arsenale, Venice), “Photographs of Innocence and of Experience – Contemporary Japanese Photography Vol.14” (Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo, 2017), “Roppongi Crossing – My Body, Your Voice” (Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2016), etc. Public collections include, Tate Modern (London), Collection Antoine de Galbert (Paris), Mori Art Museum (Tokyo) and Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (Tokyo).
She received Higashikawa Award for The New Photographer category in 2019 and Kimura Ihei Award in 2020. Her major publications include “GIFT” (United Vagabonds, 2019).
1987 Born in Saitama, raised in Gunma, Japan
2010 B.A., Gunma Prefectural Women’s University, Gunma
2012 M.F.A., Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo
[Solo Exhibition]
2024 “this is how we stand our ground”, Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve, Paris
2023 “Cavern”, Gallery ETHER, Tokyo
2022 “possession”, Fugensha, Tokyo
2022 “Mari Katayama solo exhibition”, Kaunas Photography Gallery, Kaunas
2021 “leave-taking”, Akio Nagasawa Gallery, Tokyo
2021 “home again”, Maison Europeenne de la Photographie STUDIO, Paris
2021 “Vieraita itsellemme – Strangers to Ourselves”, Pori Art Museum, Pori
2020 “home again”, Shimadai Gallery – KYOTOGRAPHIE 2020, Kyoto
2019 “Mari Katayama”, Irving Stenn, Jr. Family Gallery, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor
2019 “Broken Heart”, White Rainbow, London
2017 “19872017”, Gallery Gateaux Festa Harada, Gunma
2017 “On the Way Home”, the Museum of Modern Art, Gunma
2016 “Self-portrait and object”, Renaiss Hall, Okayama
2016 “Artist in Rokku vol.3 Mari Katayama / bystander”, Miyaura Gallery Rokku, Naoshima (in conjunction with the Setouchi Triennale 2016)
2016 “Shadow Puppet – 3331 ART FAIR recommended artists”, 3331 gallery, Tokyo
2015 “25 days in tatsumachi studio”, Robson Coffee (Arts Maebashi), Gunma
2014 “you’re mine”, Traumaris | Space, Tokyo
2014 “Mari Katayama solo exhibition”, Kitchen Gallery, Paris
2009 “Mari Katayama solo exhibition”, Gallery J, Gunma
2008 “Mari Katayama solo exhibition”, Slow Time, Gunma
[Group Exhibitions]
2023 “LOVE: Still Not the Lesser”, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago
2023 “Body Politics”, Torrance Art Museum, CA
2023 “Ragusa Foto Festival”, Palazzo Cosentini, Ragusa
2023 “Living A Performance Artist’s Life: 2023 Performance Art Documental Exhibition”, MadeIn Art Museum, Shanghai
2023 “Mirror of self created by Hangar within the framework of PhotoBrussels Festival”, HANGAR Photo Art Center, Brussel
2022 “Contemporary Art Festival CHAOS : CALM”, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Bangkok
2022 “JAPAN. BODY_PERFORM_LIVE Resistance and Resilience in Japanese Contemporary Art”, PAC Milano, Milano
2022 “Okayama Art Summit 2022 : DO WE DREAM UNDER THE SAME SKY”, Okayama, Japan
2022 “Latent Scenery”, Arts Maebashi, Gunma
2022 “Empowerment”, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg
2022 “Fashion Is a Verb: Art, Performance, and Identity”, William Paterson University South Gallery, NJ
2021 “Look! Revelations on Art and Fashion”, Marta Herford Museum for Art, Architecture, Design, Deutschland
2021 “Reversible Destiny Australian and Japanese contemporary photography”, TOP museum, Japan
2021 “ART for SDGs: Kitakyushu Art Festival Imagining Our Future”, Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Japan
2021 “The 45th Kimura Ihei Award Exhibition: Mari Katayama and Daisuke Yokota”, Nikon Salon THE GALLERY, Japan
2021 “HOME/TOWN”, Art Museum and Library, Ota, Japan
2021 Group Exhibition, Okawa Museum of art, Japan
2021 Collection Exhibition, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Japan
2021 “Anneke Hymmen & Kumi Hiroi, Tokuko Ushioda, Mari Katayama, Maiko Haruki, Mayumi Hosokura and your visions”, Shiseido Gallery, Japan
2020 “Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival”, Xiamen Jimei?Citizen Square Exhibition Hall, Three Shadows Photography Art Center Xiamen,?China
2020 “Transhuman From Prosthetics to Cyborg”, Museum Ulm, Deutschland
2020 “LIFE”, Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto, Japan
2019 “The 35th Higashikawa Award Winners’ Photo Exhibition”, Higashikawa Bunka Gallery, Hokkaido, Japan
2019 “The 58th Venice Biennale 2019：May You Live in Interesting Times”, Giardini and Arsenale, Venice, Italy
2019 “Syunsuke Matsumoto – vol.3 Child’s time-”, Okawa museum, Gunma, Japan
2018 “Unexpected Encounters”,in the city center of Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
2018 “Body Politics: What Defines the Body?”,KANA KAWANISHI PHOTOGRAPHY, Tokyo, Japan
2018 “How Many Miles to Babylon?”,MIYAKO YOSHINAGA, N.Y
2017 “Photographs of innocence and of experience Contemporary Japanese Photography vol. 14”, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2017 “Signal flare for our future”, Art Museum and Library, Ota, Gunma, Japan
2017 Pro(s)thesis & Posthuman Complisities/xhibit und Gemaldegalerie der Akademie der Bildende Kunste Wien,Wien
2016 DAEGU PHOTO BIENNALE2016 Me in the Photography/Daegu Culture & Arts Cen- ter,Tegu,Korea
2016 “Roppongi Crossing – My body, your voice”, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2015 “現代幽霊画”, TAV Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2013 “L’Experience Japonaise”, Theatre National de Marseille La Criee, Marseilles
2013 “Aichi Triennale 2013”, Nayabashi, Aichi, Japan
2013 “KISS THE HEART#2”, Isetan Shinjuku department store window display, Tokyo, Japan
2012 “Human Library”, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan
2012 “and freedom 2 | MEGANE + Mari Katayama”, Traumaris | Space, Tokyo, Japan
2012 “Shibukaru sai”, PARCO, Tokyo, Japan
2012 “Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi 2012”, Gyoko-dori Underground Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2012 “Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Work Exhibition”, BankART Studio NYK, Kanagawa, Japan
2011 “CunCun”, Gallery Conceal Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
2010 “identity, body it. ―curated by Takashi Azumaya―”, NCA, Tokyo, Japan
2009 “First EXPO ART 1st JAPAN”, Oizumimachi Bunkamura, Gunma, Japan
2008 Wall paintings, Social Welfare Service Corporation Suido-sya, Gunma, Japan
2008 “Art MAGMA”, Asaya department store, Gunma, Japan
2006 “The 58th Nihon Independent Exhibition” Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2005 “Gunma Biennale for Young Artists ’05” The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Japan
[Awards]
2020 【The 45th Kimura Ihei Awards】
2019 【New Photographer Awards】at “Higashikawa Awards”
2015 【Koichi Watari Prize, Mitsuhiro Yoshitomo Prize, Rina Miyake Prize】at “3331 Art Fair 2015 -Various Collectors’ Prizes-“
2012 【Grand Prize】at “Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi 2012”
2005 【Encouragement Prize】at “The 8th Gunma Biennale for Young Artists ’05”
[Public Collections]
Tate Modern(London, Britain), RISD museum(RI, USA), Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan), Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan), amana collection (Tokyo, Japan), ARTS Maebashi (Gunma, Japan), Okawa Museum of art (Gunma, Japan), Gateau Festa Harada (Gunma, Japan), fondation antoine de galbert (Paris, France).
[Books]
GIFT (United Vagabonds, 2019) ISBN: 978-4-908600-04-3
Un certain désordre #1 (Edité par la Fondation Antoine de Galbert – collection Un certain désordre, 2021) ISBN: 978-2-9571947-1-1
For offers and inquiries about my work, please email: studio@marikatayama.com