Artist Yuki Kihara in situ at her solo exhibition entitled ‘Paradise Camp’ (2020/2022) presented at the Aotearoa New Zealand Pavilion in the Arsenale, as part of the 59th Venice Biennale, 2022. Photo by Luke Walker.

Yuki Kihara is an interdisciplinary artist of Japanese and Sāmoan descent. Through a research-based approach, her work seeks to challenge dominant and singular historical narratives through a wide range of mediums, including performance, sculpture, video, photography and curatorial practice. Kihara lives and works in Sāmoa, where she has been based over the past 11 years. 

Among many exhibitions Kihara has presented over the last two decades includes a solo, acquisitive exhibition entitled ‘Living Photographs’ (2008) presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Manahatta New York held at the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art featuring highlights of her interdisciplinary art practice. In addition, Kihara’s work is included in over 30 permanent collections around the world, among others, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; British Museum; National Museum of World Cultures, The Netherlands; National Museum of Scotland; Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art; Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan and Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand to name a few.

Kihara’s works have been presented at the Asia Pacific Triennial (2002 & 2015); Auckland Triennial (2009); Sakahàn Quinquennial (2013); Daegu Photo Biennale (2014); Honolulu Biennale (2017); Bangkok Art Biennale (2018); Aichi Triennale (2022) and the Gwangju Biennale (2023). Kihara’s critically acclaimed exhibition entitled Paradise Camp curated by Natalie King presented at the Aotearoa New Zealand Pavilion as part of the 59th Venice Biennale 2022 is currently touring the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo, Gadigal land Sydney on view from the 24th March till 28th December 2023 (9 months). Paradise Camp exhibition will subsequently tour the Saletoga Sands Resort, Upolu Island, Sāmoa in 2024 followed by Sainsbury Centre for Visual arts, Norwich, UK in 2025. Paradise Camp exhibition is accompanied by a major catalogue published by Thames and Hudson.

Kihara’s works, performances and projects has been presented, among others, at Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai; Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre; Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts; Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Fukuoka; Gwangju National Museum; Goodman Gallery, Cape Town; Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels; Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin; Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin; Sophiensaele, Berlin; Kampnagel, Hamburg; Theatre Freiburg; Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum, Cologne; Forum Freies Theate, Düsseldorf; Roxy Basel, Basel; Trondheim Kunstmuseum; Royal Academy of Arts, London; Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge; National Museum of Scotland; National Museum of Poznan; Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Paris; Christie’s Paris; Musée Maritime de La Rochelle; Danish Film Institute, Copenhagen; Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen; Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden; Troppenmuseum, Amsterdam; Cultural Centre Francesca Bonnemaison, Barcelona; CRAA Centro Ricerca Arte Attuale, Verbania; National Gallery of Canada; Bishop Museum, Honolulu; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Utah Museum of Fine Arts; Orange County Museum of Art; Allen Memorial Museum of Art, Ohio; Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Nouméa ; Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; 4A Centre for Contemporary Asia Art, Sydney; Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Powerhouse Museum, Sydney; Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne; Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane; Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira; Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki; New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui A Tangaroa; Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū; Artspace; City Gallery Wellington; Dunedin Public Art Gallery; Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand and the National University of Sāmoa. 

In 2021, Kihara became a recipient of the Art Laureate Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Te Tumu Toi. In addition, Kihara has been a recipient of grants, among others, including the Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa; Asia New Zealand Foundation; Association of Social Anthropology in Oceania; Goethe Institute and the United Nations Women to name a few. 

Kihara was a research fellow at the National Museums of World Cultures in The Netherlands from 2017 – 2022. As a culmination of her fellowship, Kihara presented a solo exhibition entitled ‘Going Native’ commissioned by the National Museums of World Cultures which premiered in at Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden. Kihara is currently an affiliate of Ecological Art Practices – a research cluster led by THE NEW INSTITUTE Centre for Environmental Humanities (NICHE) at the Ca ‘Foscari University of Venice (2022–2024). 

As a curator, Kihara has curated several exhibitions, among others, including ‘Hand in Hand’ (1999) co-curated with Jenny Fraser featuring over 30 Indigenous queer artists across Oceania presented between Boomalli Aboriginal Arts Collective and Performance Space as part of the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras. ‘Hand in Hand’ later toured the University of Tasmania Plimsoll Gallery, Australia. Kihara is currently curating the touring solo exhibition of artist and scholar Katerina Teaiwa entitled ‘Project Banaba’ (2017-) commissioned by Carriageworks Sydney. In addition, ‘Project Banaba’ has toured MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri (2019 NZ) and Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery (2022 NZ). Subsequently, ‘Project Banaba’ will tour the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Kingdom of Hawai’i opening in November 2023. 

A publication entitled ‘Samoan Queer Lives’ (2018) featuring 14 autobiographical chapters from Fa’afafine & LGBTIQ+ Samoans based in Sāmoa, American Sāmoa, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Hawai’i & Turtle Island USA co-edited by Kihara and Dan Taulapapa McMullin published by Little Island Press supported Creative New Zealand.

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