Mari Katayama: Transforming Disability into Art Through Photography

Japanese photographer Mari Katayama (b. 1987), fresh from success at Paris Photo, creates self-portraits that transform her disabled body into art. Born with a rare degenerative disease that led to the amputation of her legs at age nine, she uses handmade fabric prosthetics, sequins, and lace to construct dreamlike images exploring identity, femininity, and the boundary between human and artificial. Her work began in 2009 with 'White legs,' where she posed in a corset and gold-sequined legs, referencing bridal iconography. She later created 'In my room' and 'High Heels' series, using wigs, tulle, and high heels—symbols of femininity she refuses to abandon despite prosthetic limitations. In 2017, motherhood marked a turning point: 'My daughter's unconditional love taught me to love myself.' Recent trilogies 'Shadow puppet,' 'Bystander,' and 'On the way home' show her moving beyond her room to landscapes like Naoshima Island's polluted shores, where she poses as a mythological hybrid creature. Her first US solo exhibition is currently at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, featuring the new project 'In the water' and larger-scale installations inspired by environmental concerns, including the Ashio mine contamination affecting her hometown and the Flint water crisis. Katayama states, 'Living and creating are the same thing for me.' She views the creative process as freedom and aims to continue singing, having posted songs on YouTube.