The Many Subversions of Pink
Revolving around the color pink, this group exhibition portrays the shade as a symbol of protest, desire and defiance. For instance, pioneering feminist artist Yoshiko Shimada revives the “pink of resistance,” referencing the 1970s activist group Chupiren and its pink helmets. Iconic colorist Yayoi Kusama, on the other hand, covers a pink cosmetic box with her signature protrusions, visualizing deep-seated fears of death and sexuality.
The exhibition also dives into the “pink” of identity and social change. Berlin-based video and performance artist Ming Wong explores the history of Japan’s 1960s erotic “pink films” to challenge the male gaze. Meanwhile, Chen Wei, known for his meticulously staged, surreal photographs, uses the color to study personal desire within a rapidly changing Chinese society: In “Pink Bobble” (2021), a soft pink tennis ball against a cold steel frame represents the quiet tension between individual “lightness” and urban reality. Other represented artists include ¥ouada, BuBu de la Madeleine, Maria Farrar and Masanori Handa.
Yayoi Kusama, “Untitled” (1980). Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts
