Yuko Mohri – Japanese Artist

From Tokyo, Japan, Yuko Mohri is an innovative artist, who uses sound installations and new media to make new art. It is a careful balancing act finding the right materials to use, and she gathers a collection of unique things from all over the place, from bicycle wheels to light bulbs, rubber gloves and much more. The random assemblage of items explores the different concepts behind energy and force, using magnetism, gravity, and light.

Back in 2015, Mohri was presented with the Nissan Art Award, which ultimately resulted in a residency at the prestigious Arts Centre in the Camden located in London. When she is not making incredible works of art, Mohri lecture at the Tokyo University of the Arts in the painting department.

Mohri worked on many projects in the past year, including the solo show at the Jane Lombard Gallery and also participated in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. In 2016, Mohri was named by Apollo Magazine as one of the 40 under 40 most influential artists in the Asia Pacific.

The feminine name Yuko is taken from the Japanese symbols 優 or yu that means “lithe, gentleness, or superior” and 子 or ko that means “child”. There are many other combinations in the Kanji language for the character yu, like “fertile, helpful, evening, qualified, permanence, bind, reason, courage or friend” depending on the character used. The name is common and there are many notable people with the name, from Yuko Ando the Japanese TV new anchor and presenter to Yuko Goto the Japanese voice actress.