Yoshiko Shimada was born in 1959 in Tokyo, lives and works in Chiba. Shimada graduated from Scripps College in 1982 and received Ph.D. from Kingston University, London in 2015. She explores the themes of cultural memory and the role of women in the Asia-Pacific War, as both aggressors and victims. As methods of expression, she uses printmaking, installation, video, performance, research and archiving.
When Emperor Showa passed away in 1988, Shimada began to create artworks about violence, war, women and Japanese history and nationalism. With her research of the roles of women in a male-centric environment, she attempts to look critically at conventional feminism. Her works address the power structures within organisations such as the Japan Women's Association, the roles and responsibilities of Japanese women, and what sorts of positions they held along with Korean "comfort women" during and after the Second World War.
Shimada also conducted fieldwork in Asia - the Philippines, Korea, Indonesia and Thailand - to gather information not only about women during the war period, but also about falsehoods and truths in the home and community.
Recent years, she also works as an art historian and archivist. Her research interests include art and politics in the post-war Japan, alternative art education, and feminism.
Her works have been shown widely in exhibitions such as "Fanatic Heart", Para Site, Hong Kong (2022-2023), "Japan Unlimited", MuseumsQuartier Wien (2019), "After 'Freedom of Expression?'", Aichi Triennale (2019) and "Beyond Hiroshima" Tel Aviv University Art Gallery (2015). In 2017, she curated "From Nirvana to Catastrophe: Matsuzawa Yutaka and His 'Commune in Imaginary Space'" at Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo. She currently lectures on feminism and art at the University of Tokyo.
-
Yoshiko ShimadaR + R (rest and recuperation) , 1996Etching27.7 x 70.4 cm (image)Edition of 3 plus 1 AP
-
Yoshiko ShimadaR + R (rest and reproduction), 1996Etching27.7 x 70.4 cm (image)Edition of 3 plus 1 AP
-
Yoshiko ShimadaR + R (rest and recreation) , 1996Etching27.7 x 70.4 cm (image)Edition of 3 plus 1 AP
-
Yoshiko ShimadaTea and Sympathy, 1995Etching42.6 x 25.5 cmEdition of 10
-
Yoshiko ShimadaExercise, 1995Etching39 x 56.2 cm (image)
50 x 70 cm (paper)Edition of 10 -
Yoshiko ShimadaA House of Comfort, 1993Etching59.8 x 39.8 cm (image)Edition of 10 plus 1 artist's proof
-
Yoshiko ShimadaBalloon Bomb, Rising Sun, 1993EtchingDiptych
Top: 45 x 59.5 cm (image)
Bottom: 45 x 59.5 cm (image)Edition of 10 plus 1 artist's proof -
Yoshiko ShimadaBaby Contest, 1992Etching39.5 x 56.3 cm (image)
50.1 x 69.6 cm (paper)Edition of 2 plus 1 artist's proof
-
It's Not Yours to Decide!
Yoshiko Shimada 15 Apr - 17 Jun 2023 Tokyo* The exhibition period is extended until Sat. 17 June. Ota Fine Arts is pleased to present 'It's Not Yours to Decide!', Yoshiko Shimada's first solo exhibition in 21 years....Read more -
Gallery Collection
¥ouada, Tetsuya Umeda, Akira The Hustler, BuBu de la Madelaine + Yoshiko Shimada, Zai Kuning, Hiraki Sawa, Cheng Ran, Takao Minami, Tang Dixin, Hilmi Johandi, Masanori Handa 18 Jun - 6 Aug 2022 Tokyo -
Flame
Akira The Hustler, Liu Chuang, Tsuyoshi Hisakado, Tomoko Kashiki, Nam Jun Paik, Yoshiko Shimada, Nobuaki Takekawa, Jong YuGyong, Zai Kuning, Zhang Enli 22 Feb - 26 Mar 2022 Tokyo -
Present Progressive
Nobuaki Takekawa, Yoshiko Shimada, Akira the Hustler, Bubu de la Madeleine, Hiraki Sawa, Tang Dixin, Maria Farrar, Andy Warhol, Nam June Paik, Wang Zhibo, other 19 Mar - 20 Apr 2019 TokyoExhibited artists: Nobuaki Takekawa Yoshiko Shimada Akira the Hustler Bubu de la Madeleine Hiraki Sawa Tang Dixin Maria Farrar Andy Warhol Nam June Paik Wang Zhibo otherRead more -
Be there
Akira the Hustler, Kiri Dalena, Yoshiko Shimada, Nobuaki Takekawa, Yuken Teruya 15 May - 7 Jul 2018 TokyoOta Fine Arts is delighted to announce 'Be there', a group exhibition featuring artworks that connote socio-political messages. 'Be there' is a slogan used to encourage people to participate in...Read more -
From Nirvana to Catastrophe: Matsuzawa Yutaka and his ‘Commune in Imaginary Space’
Curated by Yoshiko Shimada 3 Mar - 22 Apr 2017 TokyoOta Fine Arts is pleased to present an exhibition of Yutaka Matsuzawa (1922-2006), known as the founder of Japanese Conceptualism. Titled From Nirvana to Catastrophe: Matsuzawa Yutaka and his 'Commune...Read more -
primal lines
26 Jan - 20 Feb 2016 TokyoOta Fine Arts is pleased to announce 'primal lines', an exhibition of drawings by various artists, including new works and works which will be presented in Japan for the first...Read more -
SLOGAN
Naoya Inose, Yuken Teruya, Yoshiko Shimada, Akira the Hustler 7 Sep - 10 Oct 2009 Tokyo -
"COUPLE"
Nobuaki Takekawa, BuBu and Yoshiko Shimada, Akira the Hustler, Yayoi Kusama, Dennis Oppenheim, GI JOE 22 Jun - 10 Jul 2004 Tokyo -
Yoshiko Shimada "Women in Camoufrage"
1 - 22 Nov 2002 Tokyo -
Yoshiko Shimada+Tsuyoshi Ozawa
Yoshiko Shimada, Tsuyoshi Ozawa 16 Mar - 21 Apr 2000 Tokyo -
How to Use Women\'s Body
Shu Lea Cheang, Ernest Pujol, Lulu Hou, FROG, BuBu+Shimada 3 - 30 Mar 2000 Tokyo -
Video Work
Yayoi Kusama, Tsuyoshi Ozawa, BuBu+Shimada 16 Sep - 3 Oct 1998 Tokyo -
Portrait
Yayoi Kusama, Yoshiko Shimada, Tadao Kimura, Paul Delvaux, Takashi Murakami, Isamu Noguchi, Dennis Oppenheim, Yasumasa Morimura, Tomio Miki, Kazuo Katase, Tsuyoshi Ozawa, Noritoshi Hirakawa 7 - 22 Nov 1996 Tokyo -
Print
Yayoi Kusama, Yoshiko Shimada, Shinro Otake, Mtsuo Kanou, Reiko Ikemura, Sigmar Polke, Imi Knoebel, Francesco Clemente, Joseph Beuys 21 Nov - 20 Dec 1995 Tokyo -
Yoshiko Shimada
15 Feb - 18 Mar 1995 Tokyo
-
Yoshiko Shimada
LONG LIVE THE SHORT-LIVED , Ebenböckhaus, MUNICH 31 Aug 2023Yoshiko Shimada gives a performance & talk event on 1 September 2023. Date and time: 2023.9.1, 8:00 pm- Venue: Ebenböckhaus Free admissionRead more -
Yoshiko Shimada
Shimada Yoshiko ₊ Kurita Ryuko Talk events, 本屋B&B, Tokyo 10 May 2023Yoshiko Shimada participates in a talk event with Kurita Ryuko on 11 may 2023. Date and time: 2023.5.11, 19:30- Venue: Online& 本屋B & B Reservation:At...Read more -
Yoshiko Shimada
New book "It's Not Yours to Decide!" 22 Mar 2023Yoshiko Shimada's new book ”おまえが決めるな!東大で留学生が学ぶ《反=道徳》フェミニズム講義” ('It's Not Yours to Decide!') will be published by 白順社 (Hakujun-sha) on 25 April 2023. Title: '”おまえが決めるな!東大で留学生が学ぶ《反=道徳》フェミニズム講義” ('It's Not Yours...Read more -
BuBu de la Madeleine + Yoshiko Shimada
"Fanatic Heart" Para Site, Hong Kong 29 Nov 2022BuBu de la Madeleine + Yoshiko Shimada will participate in 'Fanatic Heart' at Para Site in Hong Kong from 10th December 2022 to 26th February...Read more