“Prism of the Real” Reframes Japan’s Creative Evolution 1989–2010 at NACT

Challenging Identity and Gender: Self vs. Other

Chapter 2, Self and Other, brings together works that question identity and gender. While many female photographers emerged during this period, they were rarely recognized as fully fledged artists. Here, the exhibition traces the paths these women forged through their creative practice.

Among the striking works by Yurie Nagashima, Emiko Kasahara, Mariko Mori, and Lee Bul, Minako Nishiyama’s monumental installation The Pink House stood out for its commanding presence. Resembling a life-size room from a shōjo manga or a dollhouse, the installation employs pink—a color long associated with femininity and eroticism—to sharply evoke questions of gender. Equally memorable was Sharon Lockhart’s video work Goshogaoka, which captures the disciplined practice of a middle school girls’ basketball team, conveying a subtle, delicate atmosphere that lingers with the viewer.

In the following space, works by Miran Fukuda, who references famous paintings in her practice; Yasumasa Morimura, who challenges fixed ideas through Western art history; and Matthew Barney, who produces videos and photographs rooted in Japanese culture, are on display. These artists consciously reflect on the tension between their own identities and the outside world, creating works with distinct perspectives, conceptual concerns, and a unique sense of distance.