Biography

Born 1987 in Saitama and raised in Gunma, Japan. 

Graduated with a Master’s degree from the Department of Intermedia Art at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2012. Suffering from congenital tibial hemimelia, Katayama had both her legs amputated at the age of nine. Since then, she has created numerous self-portraits, alongside embroidered objects and decorated prostheses, using her own body as a living sculpture. Her belief is that tracing her own self connects her with other people, and that just like a patchwork is made by stitching together edges with needle and thread, her everyday life can also be connected with wider society and the world.

In addition to her creative art, she has also worked as fashion model, singer and keynote speaker at international events. She also leads the “High Heels Project”, which has recently entered its second phase. The motto of the project is to use the body and art in any way possible to achieve “freedom of choice.”

Her major exhibitions include, “home again” (Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, France, 2021), “58th Venice Biennale 2019” (Giardini and Arsenale, Venice, Italy), “broken heart” (White Rainbow, London, 2019), “Photographs of Innocence and of Experience – Contemporary Japanese Photography Vol.14” (Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo, 2017), “on the way home” (The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, 2017), “Roppongi Crossing – My Body, Your Voice” (Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2016), “Aichi Triennale 2013” (Nayabashi, Aichi), etc. Public collections include La Maison Rouge (Paris, France), Collection Antoine de Galbert (Paris, France), Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan), Arts Maebashi (Gunma, Japan) and Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan). She received the Encouraging Prize of Gunma Biennale for Young Artists in 2005, Grand Prix of Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi in 2012, Higashikawa Award for The New Photographer category in 2019 and Kimura Ihei Award in 2020. Her major publications include “GIFT” (United Vagabonds, 2019).

  • 1987 Born in Saitama, raised in Gunma, Japan
  • 2010 B.A., Gunma Prefectural Women's University, Gunma
  • 2012 M.F.A., Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo


https://marikatayama.com/

Solo Exhibitions

2021

  • “leave taking”, Akio Nagasawa Gallery, Tokyo
  • “home again”, Maison Européenne de la Photographie STUDIO, Paris

2020

  • “home again”, Shimadai Gallery - KYOTOGRAPHIE 2020, Kyoto

2019

  • “Mari Katayama”, Irving Stenn, Jr. Family Gallery, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor
  • “Broken Heart”, White Rainbow, London

2017

  • “19872017”, Gallery Gateaux Festa Harada, Gunma
  • “On the Way Home”, the Museum of Modern Art, Gunma

2016

  • “Self-portrait and object”, Renaiss Hall, Okayama
  • “Artist in Rokku vol.3 Mari Katayama / bystander”, Miyaura Gallery Rokku, Naoshima (in conjunction with the Setouchi Triennale 2016)
  • “Shadow Puppet – 3331 ART FAIR recommended artists”, 3331 gallery, Tokyo

2015

  • “25 days in tatsumachi studio”, Robson Coffee (Arts Maebashi), Gunma

2014

  • “you’re mine”, Traumaris | Space, Tokyo
  • “Mari Katayama solo exhibition”, Kitchen Gallery, Paris

2009

  • “Mari Katayama solo exhibition”, Gallery J, Gunma

2008

  • “Mari Katayama solo exhibition”, Slow Time, Gunma

Group Exhibitions

2021

  • “Look! Revelations on Art and Fashion”, Marta Herford Museum for Art, Architecture, Design, Deutschland
  • “ART for SDGs: Kitakyushu Art Festival Imagining Our Future”, Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Japan
  • “The 45th Kimura Ihei Award Exhibition: Mari Katayama and Daisuke Yokota”, Nikon Salon THE GALLERY, Japan
  • “HOME/TOWN”, Art Museum and Library, Ota, Japan
  • Group Exhibition, Okawa Museum of art, Japan
  • Collection Exhibition, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Japan
  • “Anneke Hymmen & Kumi Hiroi, Tokuko Ushioda, Mari Katayama, Maiko Haruki, Mayumi Hosokura and your visions”, Shiseido Gallery, Japan

2020

  • “Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival”, Xiamen Jimei?Citizen Square Exhibition Hall, Three Shadows Photography Art Center Xiamen, China
  • “Transhuman From Prosthetics to Cyborg”, Museum Ulm, Deutschland
  • “LIFE”, Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto, Japan

2019

  • “The 35th Higashikawa Award Winners’ Photo Exhibition”, Higashikawa Bunka Gallery, Hokkaido, Japan
  • “The 58th Venice Biennale 2019：May You Live in Interesting Times”, Giardini and Arsenale, Venice, Italy
  • “Syunsuke Matsumoto – vol.3 Child’s time-”, Okawa museum, Gunma, Japan

2018

  • “Unexpected Encounters”,in the city center of Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
  • “Body Politics: What Defines the Body?”,KANA KAWANISHI PHOTOGRAPHY, Tokyo, Japan
  • “How Many Miles to Babylon?”, MIYAKO YOSHINAGA, N.Y

2017

  • “Photographs of innocence and of experience Contemporary Japanese Photography vol. 14”, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
  • “Signal flare for our future”, Art Museum and Library, Ota, Gunma, Japan
  • Pro(s)thesis & Posthuman Complisities/xhibit und Gemaldegalerie der Akademie der Bildende Kunste Wien, Wien

2016

  • DAEGU PHOTO BIENNALE2016 Me in the Photography/Daegu Culture & Arts Cen- ter, Tegu, Korea
  • “Roppongi Crossing – My body, your voice”, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan

2015

  • “現代幽霊画”, TAV Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2013

  • “L’Experience Japonaise”, Theatre National de Marseille La Criee, Marseilles
  • “Aichi Triennale 2013”, Nayabashi, Aichi, Japan
  • “KISS THE HEART#2”, Isetan Shinjuku department store window display, Tokyo, Japan

2012

  • “Human Library”, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan
  • “and freedom 2 | MEGANE + Mari Katayama”, Traumaris | Space, Tokyo, Japan
  • “Shibukaru sai”, PARCO, Tokyo, Japan
  • “Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi 2012”, Gyoko-dori Underground Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
  • “Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Work Exhibition”, BankART Studio NYK, Kanagawa, Japan

2011

  • “CunCun”, Gallery Conceal Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

2010

  • “identity, body it. ―curated by Takashi Azumaya―”, NCA, Tokyo, Japan

2009

  • “First EXPO ART 1st JAPAN”, Oizumimachi Bunkamura, Gunma, Japan

2008

  • Wall paintings, Social Welfare Service Corporation Suido-sya, Gunma, Japan
  • “Art MAGMA”, Asaya department store, Gunma, Japan

2006

  • “The 58th Nihon Independent Exhibition” Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan

2005

  • “Gunma Biennale for Young Artists ’05” The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Japan

Public Collections

Tate Modern (London, Britain), Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan), Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan), amana collection (Tokyo, Japan), ARTS Maebashi (Gunma, Japan), Okawa Museum of art (Gunma, Japan), Gateau Festa Harada (Gunma, Japan), fondation antoine de galbert (Paris, France)

Awards

2020

  • 【The 45th Kimura Ihei Awards】

2019

  • 【New Photographer Awards】at “Higashikawa Awards”

2015

  • 【Koichi Watari Prize, Mitsuhiro Yoshitomo Prize, Rina Miyake Prize】at “3331 Art Fair 2015 -Various Collectors’ Prizes-“

2012

  • 【Grand Prize】at “Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi 2012”

2005

  • 【Encouragement Prize】at “The 8th Gunma Biennale for Young Artists ’05”