Yasumasa Morimura

Born in 1951, Osaka, Japan. Graduated from Fine Arts of Kyoto City University of Arts. In 1985, Morimura exhibited an large color portrait of Van Gogh inserting his own face and body into it. Since then, he has been pursuing the expression of self portrait. In 1988, Morimura was selected as an artist of Aperto of Venice Biennale and was catapulted into fame. Through the extensive use of props, costumes, make-up and digital manipulation, Morimura masterfully transforms himself into recognizable subjects that punctuate the western cultural cannon. His series include works based on seminal paintings by artists such as Frida Kahlo, Velazquez or Goya and on pictorial sources from history and the mass media. His ability to satirize and simultaneously create an homage of his source material is what makes Morimura’s work particularly forceful and effective.

Education
1978B.A. Graduated from Kyoto City University of Art

Collection
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Carnegie Museum of Pittsburg, Pittsburg, PA
Rose Art Museum of Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX
Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles, CA
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
International Center for Photography, New York, NY
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
Rubell Familly Collection, Miami, Florida
The Logan Collection, Vail. Colorado
Norton Family Foundation
Dakis Joannou Collection Foundation, Greece
Progressive Corporation, Mayfield Village, OH

Artist Website
www.morimura-ya.com

Galleries
Shugo Arts, Tokyo
Akio Nagasawa (Edition), Tokyo