Whitestone Ginza New Gallery is pleased to announce “Real Women - Through the Passage of Time”, a duo exhibition featuring female artists Miki Katoh and itabamoe.
The artist Miki Katoh depicts traditional Japanese culture, kimono, and historical landscapes through her unique perspective. Her works are inspired by antique kimonos from the Taisho and early Showa periods, incorporating designs that delicately express the freedom and beauty of women. Reflecting Japanese animistic beliefs, her life-affirming, prayer-like art depicts humans, plants, and animals as symbolic beings, with some taking on human forms while others transform into various shapes. In her "100 Views of Tokyo" series, she applies Edo ukiyo-e techniques to depict Tokyo's landscapes in a fable-like manner, weaving a narrative that links history with the future. Her latest works explore the passage of time, expressing changes in landscapes and history, as well as the accumulation of people's wishes. By blending tradition with modernity, her work contributes to the preservation and development of Japanese culture while also reflecting the changes in women's lives throughout the ages, celebrating their beauty and strength.
Real Women - Through the Passage of Time: MIKI KATOH, itabamoe
Ginza New Gallery
2025.04.04 - 04.26
Portraying Womanhood, Enrobed in Culture: Interview with Miki Katoh
ABOUT
Born in Saitama, Miki Kato graduated from Joshibi University of Art and Design. Initially working as an illustrator, she began pursuing painting with her first solo exhibition produced by Hisashi Tenmyouya in 2012. In contrast to the traditional kimono design, the women in Kato’s portraits wear modern and innovative kimonos inspired by the “vintage kimonos” of the Taisho and early Showa era. Her styling is glamorous and liberated, expressing not only visual pleasure but also the attitude and the spirit of independent women. It goes without saying that kimono designs reflect the trends and tastes of each period. However, the landscapes and cityscapes depicted in the background of her works subtly incorporate historical buildings, allowing the viewer to imagine the changes through time alongside the figure portrayed. Furthermore, Kato’s works, rooted in the epic traditions of Japanese culture, are deeply connected to numerous myths, fables, animisms, and to the cycle of life and reincarnation. Her unique space-time setting focuses on the exploration of “nature and the cycle of life”, not only cleverly blending the flow of time and the coexistence of old and new, but also the idea of “boundaries”, of the ordinary and the extraordinary, as well as reality and other worlds. This forms a profound viewpoint that is in contrast with her seemingly clear and concrete brushwork.
Currently, in addition to holding solo and group exhibitions both domestically and internationally, Kato is showcasing her excellent aesthetics as a designer by creating new kimonos in collaboration with long-established kimono manufacturers.
itabamoe's works aim to reconstruct the visual representations of women shaped in the advertising industry into contemporary art. Transitioning from the organic youth culture of the 90s to the digital age, she presents a new perspective on the "image of women" in contemporary society. While working as an illustrator and contributing to commercial icons, her art strives to go beyond those boundaries. By focusing on the diversity of women’s images shared through social media and digital platforms, she emphasizes the inner charm that radiates, rather than just outward appearance. Her art expresses a "new beauty" that is not bound to gender or societal expectations. The women on her canvases rebel against societal stereotypes, embodying strength and freedom that emanate from within. She combines the clarity of visual language with the ambiguity of art, allowing for layered interpretations. This prompts viewers to reconsider modern values and standards of beauty, offering an opportunity to recognize their own as well.
ABOUT
itabamoe is a contemporary artist based in Tokyo. After graduating from Bunka Fashion College, she started her career as an apparel designer, then shifted to the advertising industry as an illustrator. She has been active as an artist since 2021. itabamoe reconstructs illustration as a subject of contemporary art by incorporating and developing the diverse representations of women that have been cultivated in the advertising industry. She has continuously expressed the multi-dimensional images of the ‘ideal woman’ that continue to change through the passage of time. The process, in which the details of everyday life are buried in the world of advertising, becomes the core of the subject. It reflects the social and cultural history of the 20th century, including the redefinition of marginalities such as gender, race, and the third world, and also links to the personal trajectory of the artist herself. While posing to reflect the era of social media, in which anyone can play the leading role, the pop and visually articulated style of itabamoe powerfully affirms the virtues that make up each individual’s inherent beliefs and way of life.
Miki Katoh and itabamoe depict the evolution of the modern image of women, though their approaches are different. Katoh expresses the image of women incorporating Japanese culture and historical backgrounds, weaving stories rooted in time and culture. In contrast, itabamoe, takes influence from the digital age, exploring the diverse representations of women found in the world of social media and advertising. Both artists' works resonate with the changes in society and highlight the inner lives of women. We invite you to take this opportunity to explore their pursuit of "real" female imagery and the passage of time they present.
2025.04.04 - 04.26
银座新馆
Tel: +81 (0)3 3574 6161
Fax: +81 (0)3 3574 9430
Opening Hours: 11:00 - 19:00
Closed: 周日，周一