Shigeyuki Kihara
A native of Samoa, Shigeyuki Kihara is an interdisciplinary artist whose work engages in a variety of social, political and cultural issues. Often referencing Pacific history, her work explores the varying relationships between gender, race, culture and politics. Kihara’s work has been presented at the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (Australia), Auckland Triennial (New Zealand) and the Sakahàn quinquennial (Canada).
Kihara’s first solo museum exhibition in North America titled Shigeyuki Kihara: Living Photographs (2008-09) was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art following the acquisition of her works by the museum for their permanent collection. Kihara’s second solo museum exhibition in the USA was recently presented at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
Kihara’s works and performances have also been shown internationally at, amongst others, Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art; Hong Kong Arts Centre; Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan; BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels; National Museum of Poznan, Warsaw; Centro Ricerca Arte Attuale, Italy; Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum, Cologne; Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin; Musée du Quai Branly, Paris; Trondheim Kunstmuseum, Norway; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; de Young Fine Art Museum of San Francisco; Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane; National Gallery of Victoria International, Melbourne and Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand.
Kihara’s work was recently the subject of a mid-career survey exhibition titled Shigeyuki Kihara: Undressing the Pacific, organised and presented at the Hocken Library, University of Otago, New Zealand. In 2014, an exhibition highlighting Kihara’s 13 years of practice will tour New Zealand venues including the Pah Homestead, TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre, Auckland and Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and History, Palmerston North.