Shiota Chiharu: The Interweaving of Threads and Memories
During my last trip to Tokyo, I discovered the fascinating world of Shiota Chiharu while visiting the Mori Art Museum. Unfortunately, her massive retrospective The Soul Trembles had already ended, but I was able to grasp its essence through the exhibition’s catalog book and two prints displayed in the museum shop. This glimpse was enough to captivate me and drive me to delve into her work. I would love for Shiota Chiharu to become part of Alt.1550 Art Gallery in the near future. And perhaps, one of her stunning prints might soon find its place on our walls—stay tuned!
Shiota Chiharu is a Japanese artist born in 1972, known for her immersive installations where interwoven threads invade the space, capturing objects and memories. Her work explores profound themes such as memory, identity, disappearance, and the invisible connections that unite beings and things.
Trained at the Kyoto University of Arts and later in Germany under Marina Abramović, Shiota primarily uses red or black threads to weave immense structures evoking neural networks, spider webs, or human connections. Through these spectacular installations, she gives materiality to emotions and personal narratives.
Her works often incorporate objects imbued with past experiences, such as suitcases, dresses, chairs, or keys, transformed into symbols of suspended memories. Her entire body of work resembles a visual meditation on time and absence.
Major Exhibitions
2015 – Venice Biennale (The Key in the Hand, Japan Pavilion)
2019 – Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (The Soul Trembles, major retrospective)
2022 – Gropius Bau, Berlin (Silent Words)
2023 – Fundació Sorigué, Spain (Breath of Life)
2024-2025 – Grand Palais, Paris (The Soul Trembles, retrospective from the Mori Art Museum)
Shiota Chiharu weaves invisible links between the viewer and space, transforming her installations into introspective experiences. Her art, both delicate and imposing, reminds us that each thread is a story, each knot a memory, and each piece an exploration of the unseen.
lmage credit: Chiharu Shiota
