Transnational Dialogues and Contemporary Art in Japan

Abstract

This chapter features a discussion of four artists’ works that touch upon entangled and as yet contested histories in East Asia. We argue that these contemporary artists contribute to the creation of spaces for transcultural and transnational dialogue in Japan, East Asia and beyond. Through their unique styles and creative practices, Tomiyama Taeko, Shimada Yoshiko, Soni Kum and Yamashiro Chikako raise questions about the definition and formation of cultures, nations and identities. We explore how each artist approaches questions of history and memory, diasporic identities, gender-based violence and environmental destruction in the context of Japan’s colonial incursions in East Asia, interprets issues surrounding diasporic communities in the postwar era and ongoing U.S. military occupation in Okinawa. At the same time, we aim to show that the “missing pieces” referenced in the title and made visible by these artists resonate with those seen in works of artists around the world who imagine a more sustainable future.