Miyako Ishiuchi (b. 1947) entered Tama Art University to study textile dyeing and weaving in the late 1960s. Immersed in the radical political climate of Tokyo at the time, Ishiuchi ultimately left the university during her second year, turning towards photography. Ishiuchi’s photography career truly began upon her return to her hometown of Yokosuka, a Japanese city where the United States established a critical naval base in 1945. There, she photographed her celebrated series Yokosuka Story, which was exhibited in 1977, launching her presence in Japan’s male-dominated photography establishment.
Ishiuchi has continued to weave personal and political narratives throughout her career. Her series Mother’s (2002) was selected to represent Japan at the 2005 Venice Biennale. She has received a number of awards, such as the Kimura Ihei Memorial Photographic Award, the 50th Mainichi Art Award, and the Hasselblad Award. Ishiuchi has been featured in several exhibitions both in Japan and abroad at institutions including Tate Modern, ICP and MoMA. She has also been the subject of retrospective exhibitions at the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Yokohama Museum of Art.