Exhibition Review: Nobuyoshi Araki: Hanaguruma
Suicide in Tokyo, 1994 © Nobuyoshi Araki, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
Written by Federica Barrios Carbonell
Copy Edited by Erin Pedigo
Photo Edited by Lucia Luzzani
Controversially feminist Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki redefines cultural standards of gender through his provocative photographs and ink drawings. Contrasting tradition and sexuality, Araki’s images show women in conventional Japanese attire and settings but also reenact stereotypical fantasies of pure geisha women. This creates a juxtaposition of identities that creates a dichotomy of responses from the viewer. From different perspectives, the art can be considered an empowering collection of images where the women depicted are taking control of their sexuality or as an ode to the male gaze, a realization of erotic desire. The admiration of sex is nothing but a natural human trait, and the acceptance of the sexuality of women who have historically been oppressed against any sense of womanly sensuality is a beautiful thing. Nobuyoshi Araki is most known for his depictions blending eroticism and bondage. The artist creates ambiances of submission and power through the poses and confident glares of the women in his photographs.
Shino, 2002 © Nobuyoshi Araki, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
While less implicitly suggestive, Suicide in Tokyo (1994) shows a woman, wearing Japanese tea house garments, sitting in a traditional teahouse with a tea set to her left. After closer inspection, it can be noticed that the woman’s genitals are but slightly shielded by the cast shadow of her guard and crossed leg, again alluding to the idea of the promiscuous complemented by the conservative image of a woman in a private room at the disposal of the guest. The scene is customarily traditional; the woman’s outfit and look evokes the Japanese geisha, with the background of what, in this context, is a Japanese zen teahouse. Yet Araki’s use of bondage distracts from the view, creating a representational image of a woman bound by societal expectations and thus forbidden from realizing any of her desires unless in a state of submission.
Shino, 2000 © Nobuyoshi Araki, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
Installation shot © Nobuyoshi Araki, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
On the other hand, we also see images such as Shino (2000), where sexualism is more prominent and explicit rather than implied. The woman portrayed in Shino sits on the floor in a traditional manner except with her legs fully open and her genitals fully exposed. Surrounding her is the tea set that is a recurring theme in Akari’s work, but it has fallen over as though stripped of its cultural significance. And on her right side a potted orchid lays on the floor. A subtle yet powerful use of symbolic elements to emphasize the message of the image: the empowerment of women taking back their womanhood and their sexuality, withheld from them by societal expectations. In this case, again, the conservative scene is used to portray a less-than-ordinary narrative.
A common theme threads the work of the infamous Nobuyoshi Araki, from explicitly sexual representations of women like Photo Mad Old Man 76th Birthday (2016) to the suggestive use of unkempt and perfectly placed symbols of Japanese culture as a representation of the woman’s attitude towards lust. Alongside Araki’s simplistic ink drawings of faces mimicking traditional Japanese style, the artist is able to create the narrative of sexual subjectivity, open to many interpretations but demanding of one.
Installation shot © Nobuyoshi Araki, Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery
Nobuyoshi Araki: Hanaguruma exhibition at the Hamiltons Gallery in London will be open to the public from May 3rd to June 10th, 2022, at 13 Carlos Pl, London W1K 2EU, United Kingdom.
