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 working and living in Sāmoa for over the past 12 years. Through a research-based approach, her practice seeks to challenge the dominant and singular historical narratives and their persistence in the socio-political climate; while often referencing the language of cultural traditions in her native land through a wide range of mediums, including performance, sculpture, video, photography, and curatorial practice. 

Among many exhibitions Kihara has presented over the last two decades includes a solo 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, followed by the acquisition of the works by the museum for their permanent collection. Kihara’s works have been presented in numerous exhibitions, including Gwangju Biennale (2023), the Aotearoa New Zealand Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale (2022), Aichi Triennale (2022), Bangkok Art Biennale (2018), Honolulu Biennale (2017), Asia Pacific Triennial (2015 and 2002) and Sakahàn Quinquennial (2013) to name a few. 

Kihara’s work is included in over 30 permanent collections, among others, including the Museum of Modern Art; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; British Museum; National Museum of World Cultures, The Netherlands; National Museum of Scotland; Sunpride Foundation, Hong Kong; Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art; Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan; and Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand.

In 2022, Kihara represented the Aotearoa New Zealand Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale with a solo exhibition entitled ‘Paradise Camp’ curated by Natalie King presented in the Arsenale to critical acclaim. The ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition toured the Powerhouse Museum, Gadigal land Sydney in 2023 and currently touring the Saletoga Sands Resort, Upolu Island, Sāmoa in 2024. The ‘Paradise Camp exhibition will also tour the Sainsbury Centre for Visual arts, Norwich, UK presented in 2025. The ‘Paradise Camp’ exhibition is accompanied by a major catalogue edited by Natalie King and published by Thames and Hudson.

Kihara’s works, performances and projects has been presented, among others, at Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai; Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts; Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Fukuoka; Gwangju National Museum; Centre for Heritage, Arts and Culture, Hong Kong; 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 ; National Gallery of Australia; 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; British Council; French Embassy in Aotearoa New Zealand; Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade of the Government of Australia; Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade of the Government of New Zealand 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, Gadigal land Sydney. Additionally, ‘Project Banaba’ has toured MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri, Aotearoa New Zealand (2019); Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery, Aotearoa New Zealand (2022); and the Bishop Museum, Hawai’i (2023). ‘Project Banaba’ will be presented at the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney in 2025. 

Kihara is a co-editor alongside Dan Taulapapa McMullin for 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 supported Creative New Zealand.

 Links