The Tokyo Contemporary Art Award (TCAA) was established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS) arts centre in 2018 to support the work of mid-career artists in Japan over several years, including the funding of overseas research activities. This exhibition showcases the works of TCAA 2020-2022 award winners Hikaru Fujii and Chikako Yamashiro, and starts on March 19 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
Fujii’s works touch on contemporary social issues including Japanese and global historical events. This exhibition includes his new work focused on the postwar debate over Japanese war art paintings from World War II that was confiscated, documented and rediscovered on microfilm kept by the US occupation forces.
Yamashiro’s new work, on the other hand, is based on research on Okinawa, her birthplace. In general, her works raise questions related to the legacy of World War II as well as Okinawan postwar politics.
To commemorate the event, monographs for each winner will be published with images of their works, statements on each piece, as well as explanations of their creative process. You won’t be able to purchase the monographs, however, PDF copies will be available to download via the official website at the end of March 2022.
For more information about the exhibition, check the event website.
Organised by Tokyo Arts and Space and Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (both of which are affiliated with the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) as well as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.