About the Exhibition

While many wish that they could live as if floating through a dream, the fact is that we must face a harshness of reality that many would rather turn away from. This has become a common sensation for people living in the modern age.
In Yamamoto’s works, the worlds of the real and unreal merge together, each contradicting the other, enticing viewers to stop and take notice. When one tries to focus on the children within these works their features seem to blur, almost as if they refuse to be looked at. On the other hand, when re-examined they also show us a strong assertive presence, continually holding our gaze. The works of Mayuka Yamamoto neither deny nor confirm that uncertainty, and instead bewilder us, creating an inner turmoil within the viewer.

From her pursuit of lines and shapes during her early printmaking days, to her study abroad in London, becoming a mother, to her current creative processes. Lurking beneath the cuteness of her motifs, is a sense of unease filled with danger that may be a reflection of the life the artist herself has experienced.

Following renovations in March 2015, visitors will be able to view a selection of Yamamoto’s works dating from 2008 to the present in a newly reborn gallery space.