Private View: 'untitled yet' by Shuhei Yamada

The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is delighted to introduce the work of the renowned Japanese artist Shuhei Yamada to the UK public.

In his early works, which include photography and video footage, Yamada focuses on eliminating from the images the key objects that enable the viewer easily to understand them. Yamada suggests that viewers should think about and read various meanings into his art. He is convinced it’s a problem that people don’t question images enough; they only uncritically take in what’s in front of their eyes.

After the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and the subsequent accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, he no longer limited his research to issues around imagery, but gained interest in the surrounding society too. The same society that has developed the media to extremes: reality becomes an image, cravings and insecurities are driven by capitalism, nations and political power present absurdity and never-ending violence, with Japan looking like a theme park… His art explores the absurdities of this society that surrounds us.

Yamada says ‘I think that my artworks are a visual point to create an alternative to this society in order to overcome the simple dualism of good and evil, sometimes using humour and sarcasm.’

In recent years, he has been working not only on photography and videos, but also creating different kinds of art forms, such as 3D art and installations.

6 March - 8 April 2019

Mon-Fri 9:30-17:00

FREE ENTRANCE

ARTIST TALK: Tue 19 March, 18:00-20:00

Notes for Editors:

Shuhei Yamada (b. 1974) is based between New York and Kyoto. He has exhibited in Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and New York. Thanks to a referral by The Andy Warhol Museum’s director, Yamada was in 2013 the only Japanese person chosen for the Armory Show Focus, and his artwork inspired by World War II was very well received.

The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is a UK charity supporting links between Britain and Japan. It carries out its work through three main activities: awarding scholarships, giving grants to individuals and institutional partners to encourage UK-Japan collaboration; and organising a series of seminars, book launches and exhibitions at the Foundation’s headquarters in central London. The Foundation has provided substantial support for the arts in both countries since its inception, supporting exhibitions, artist-in-residence schemes, tours, education programmes and the Daiwa Foundation Art Prize.