Yasumasa Morimura. Self-portraits Through Art History
In 2024, the artist donated to the MUSAC seven photographs. These are displayed in this exhibition alongside An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Skull Ring) (2001), which was already part of the collection.
In Self-portraits Through Art History, Yasumasa Morimura steps into the shoes of major figures of Western art by recreating some of their best-known self-portraits.
The series comprises of eighteen photographs in which the artist poses as Leonardo da Vinci, Ren茅 Magritte, Jan van Eyck, Albrecht D眉rer, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh, Louise Vig茅e Le Brun and a model in one of Johannes Vermeer鈥檚 interiors, among others.
In each photograph, Morimura meticulously recreates a famous painting, often taking the role of the subject while blending aspects of his own Japanese heritage with the original context. These self-imposed transformations involve the artist鈥檚 physical appearance as well as his clothing, makeup, and carefully constructed backdrops.
Throughout his career, Morimura has often acknowledged the deep influence that Western masterpieces have exerted both on his practice and on contemporary Japanese culture. His practice also reflects a broader understanding of the fluidity of gender and identity, revealing how culture and history are often shaped by the power dynamics of representation.
Self-portraits Through Art History invites the viewer to reconsider the boundaries between the original and the appropriation, while highlighting the complexity of identity in a globalised world. Morimura鈥檚 thought-provoking photographs offer a fresh perspective on art history, placing the artist at the intersection of East and West and compelling audiences to examine the construction of personal and cultural narratives in both past and present.
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In 2024, the artist donated to the MUSAC seven photographs. These are displayed in this exhibition alongside An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Skull Ring) (2001), which was already part of the collection.
In Self-portraits Through Art History, Yasumasa Morimura steps into the shoes of major figures of Western art by recreating some of their best-known self-portraits.
The series comprises of eighteen photographs in which the artist poses as Leonardo da Vinci, Ren茅 Magritte, Jan van Eyck, Albrecht D眉rer, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh, Louise Vig茅e Le Brun and a model in one of Johannes Vermeer鈥檚 interiors, among others.
In each photograph, Morimura meticulously recreates a famous painting, often taking the role of the subject while blending aspects of his own Japanese heritage with the original context. These self-imposed transformations involve the artist鈥檚 physical appearance as well as his clothing, makeup, and carefully constructed backdrops.
Throughout his career, Morimura has often acknowledged the deep influence that Western masterpieces have exerted both on his practice and on contemporary Japanese culture. His practice also reflects a broader understanding of the fluidity of gender and identity, revealing how culture and history are often shaped by the power dynamics of representation.
Self-portraits Through Art History invites the viewer to reconsider the boundaries between the original and the appropriation, while highlighting the complexity of identity in a globalised world. Morimura鈥檚 thought-provoking photographs offer a fresh perspective on art history, placing the artist at the intersection of East and West and compelling audiences to examine the construction of personal and cultural narratives in both past and present.
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