Celebrating Contemporary Women Artists in Japan for International Women's Day 2026

Celebrating Women Artists on International Women's Day

Beginning March 4, 2026, and running until March 29, the AND COLLECTION gallery in Omotesando Hills, Tokyo, will host an incredible exhibition featuring five prominent contemporary women artists from Japan. This event is in conjunction with the official program celebrating the 40th anniversary of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, D.C., and aims to highlight the diverse reflections of contemporary society through the lens of these talented artists.

The five artists being showcased in this exhibition are:
1. Aya Irie
2. Sachiko Kazama
3. Aiko Miyanaga
4. Hanako Murakami
5. Tomoko Yoneda

Featuring the Participating Artists

Aya Irie

Aya Irie, a graduate of Hiroshima City University, has a unique artistic approach where she utilizes eraser shavings from printed images to create 3D works. Her art focuses on themes of representation, materiality, memory, and the everyday, allowing viewers to explore the intertwined relationship between loss and rebirth through her creations.

Curatorial Insight: Irie’s technique of erasing printed images until only shavings remain intertwines the notions of disappearance and regeneration, evoking memories tied to her base in Hiroshima.

Sachiko Kazama

Sachiko Kazama, trained in printmaking, delves into the roots of modern phenomena by revisiting the past. Her woodcut prints, characterized by their use of black and detailed carving, reveal the deeper societal structures that impact our history.

Curatorial Insight: Kazama uses the method of woodblock printing—historically tied to the transmission of thoughts and propaganda—to illustrate the deceit and repression ingrained in historical texts.

Aiko Miyanaga

With a background in sculpture, Aiko Miyanaga employs materials such as naphthalene, salt, and glass to poetically visualize the traces of time and presence in her works. Her installation “Strata” captures tidal records embedded within crystal-like glass books, preserving memories tied to time and space.

Curatorial Insight: Miyanaga’s work embodies the traces of continuous change in the world, materializing the essence of moments in time through her artistic practice.

Hanako Murakami

Hanako Murakami, an expert in classical photographic techniques, investigates the historical narratives and structures of seeing through her art. Her exploration of unearthed photographic plates portrays the passage of time and the memories encapsulated within.

Curatorial Insight: Through her practice, Murakami invites viewers to experience images beyond their surface, invoking latent memories and subconscious ideas.

Tomoko Yoneda

Tomoko Yoneda captures the essence of history and memory through her haunting photography, exploring the concept of ‘places where memory dwells’ with a serene perspective. Her unique works often involve the use of real objects once owned by historical figures, connecting viewers to the layers of history and emotion.

Curatorial Insight: Yoneda’s artwork prompts us to confront the historical truths embodied in the objects she selects, creating a dialogue between different layers of memory.