E2024-G101

Japanese Artist Tomiyama Taeko: A Voice Against Imperialism

Narrative

Tomiyama Taeko was a prominent Japanese artist who used her work to critique imperialism. Her art encompassed events like the May 18 Democratic Uprising, where the citizens of Gwangju, South Korea, stood against military dictatorship in 1980. Her work "Prayer in Memory-Kwangju, May 1980" captures the spirit of this democratic resistance and was exhibited as part of the 3rd Gwangju Biennale. Tomiyama's connection to Minjung Art reflects her engagement with social issues, exploring themes of struggle and resistance. Her woodcut print piece "Gwangju's Pieta" exemplifies this by depicting the trials and hopes of the Democratic Uprising. Inspired by the poet Kim Ji-ha, Tomiyama's art linked historical injustices with present activism. In addition to her woodcut prints, her depiction of Japanese military comfort women in visual works like "A Memory of the Sea" underscore her dedication to storytelling about struggle and memory of womens' lives under Japanese imperialism.