Mori Art Museum "Theaster Gates: Afro Folk Crafts"

Theaster Gates (b. 1973 in Chicago) is based in Chicago's South Side neighborhood, USA, and is internationally acclaimed for his work across media and genres, including architecture, music, performance, fashion, and design, with a focus on sculpture and ceramics. Educated in sculpture and urban planning, Gates first came to Japan in 2004 to study ceramics in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture, and has been influenced by Japan culture including ceramics for more than 20 years. His creative life is based on memorable encounters and discoveries in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as living as an African-American with roots in Mississippi and Chicago. As an artist, Gates explored cultural hybridity, and coined the term "Afro folk art" to describe his unique aesthetic, fusing the slogan "Black is Beautiful" that played a part in the American civil rights movement (1954-1968) with the philosophy of Japan's "Mingei movement." This exhibition, Gates' first solo exhibition in Japan and the largest in Asia, will introduce not only his representative works so far, but also works closely related to Japan culture, including new works for this exhibition, centered on this experimental experiment called "Afro Mingei".
In recent years, when only the voices of the majority have been taken up and there is a need to diversify perspectives, the multi-layered experience seen in the expressions of black artists who are active on the front lines is attracting attention in the global art scene. The history of black people may not be familiar to the general knowledge of Japan, but this exhibition explores the appeal of black art, which continues to attract attention around the world, through Gates' multifaceted practice. At the same time, it will be an opportunity to realize the importance of contemporary art, which celebrates handicraft, questions race and politics, and a new fusion of cultures.

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