Japanese Contemporary Art After Murakami: A New Generation

A new generation of Japanese artists is moving beyond the influence of Takashi Murakami and the kawaii aesthetic, rejecting stereotypes of manga and robots. These artists, born after 1970, explore new modes of expression in a post-bubble and post-nuclear era, seeking to transcend national boundaries and engage with global issues. Key figures include Motohiko Odani, who uses Zen and Buddhist influences to give form to the invisible; Kouichi Tabata, who explores the disappearance of line and form; Takashi Kuribayashi, who uses the penguin as a metaphor for crossing borders; and Tabaimo, who after a stay in England shifted from social satire to a global perspective, creating works like 'Teleco-Soup' for the 2011 Venice Biennale. Artists like Kohei Nawa work with raw materials, using glue guns and transparent spheres to question reality and digital transformation. The Japanese art market has grown since the 1990s, with new galleries in Tokyo and Kyoto, but contemporary art remains poorly understood by the public. Institutions like the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art and the Mori Art Museum, along with events like Art Fair Tokyo (1992) and Roppongi Crossing (2004), promote young artists. However, Japanese artists still struggle for international recognition. Caroline Ha Thuc is the author of 'Nouvel Art contemporain japonais', forthcoming in April.