Tatsumi ORIMOTO: With Bread

Aoyama Meguro is pleased to present Tatsumi ORIMOTO: With Bread, a memorial exhibition dedicated to the internationally active artist Tatsumi Orimoto (1946–2025), who was born and based in Kawasaki. Throughout his life, Orimoto engaged in a wide range of artistic series, among which his actions involving bread are the most widely known and long-standing bodies of work. Using “bread”—a material obtainable anywhere in the world—Orimoto subtly transformed places and situations through simple, improvisational acts. As both a staple food and a metaphor, bread functions as a widely shared material that invites a multiplicity of interpretations and imaginations within his actions, drawing critical attention across cultures and national boundaries. It is also significant that, while seemingly an idea anyone might conceive, these acts had never been realized by others, which contributed to making the series emblematic of Orimoto’s practice. Repeated over many years, the works evolved in response to the places he visited, his physical and mental condition, and the circumstances of each moment, continually generating new attempts. This material remained central to Orimoto’s artistic practice until the very end of his life. Marking the gallery’s seventh solo exhibition with the artist—and the first since his passing—this is also our first presentation dedicated to the “Bread” series. The exhibition features documentation of actions performed across the world, including previously unseen works and the new pieces created for The New York Times Magazine, which became his final works. These will be shown alongside photographs, videos, archival materials, and approximately forty sculptural works and drawings that emerged from the process. We sincerely hope this exhibition offers an opportunity to (re)acquaint yourself with the work of Tatsumi Orimoto. --- Born in Kawasaki in 1946, Orimoto moved to the United States in the 1970s, producing work in Los Angeles and New York. From the 1980s onward, he worked internationally, primarily creating and presenting performance-based works. Solo exhibitions include the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art (Tokyo, 2000), Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale (USA), Ikon Gallery (Birmingham, 1990s), and Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP, 1990s). He participated in international exhibitions such as the 16th São Paulo Biennale (1981), the 18th São Paulo Biennale (1985), the 1st Havana Biennale (1984), the 8th Sydney Biennale (1986), and the Yokohama Triennale (2001). His work was widely recognized across countries and cultures. Orimoto passed away in 2025. ---