ARTIST

Junko Oki

Junko Oki engraves stories of life onto textiles, with each stitch placed meticulously by hand. Without the guide of an underdrawing, she creates unique motifs and patterns by freehand stitching and by rejecting the structured tradition of embroidery. Although her works display seemingly rudimentary techniques, the artist’s instinctive approach awakens a visceral reaction in viewers. Through her unique embroidery and careful attention, Junko Oki breathes new life into aged textiles, frames, and other objects. These objects, with years of stories already embedded into them, are revived by Oki’s hand through a series of attentive stitches. They include everything that came into being, and chronologies that once existed but are now gone. At the core of Oki’s creative process is a discovery of new horizons through layered impressions of time.

Junko Oki was born in Urawa City, Japan, in 1963, and is currently based in Kamakura. Oki’s major solo exhibitions include “Moon and chrysalis” (Shiseido Gallery, Tokyo, 2017), “anthology” (Hagi Uragami Museum, Yamaguchi, 2020), and “OKI Junko: The Exposed” (The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura Annex, 2022). Her works were also featured in group exhibitions such as “Yamagata Biennale 2018” (Bunshokan, Yamagata, 2018), “GO FOR KOGEI” (Natadera Temple, Ishikawa, 2021), “FUJI TEXTILE WEEK” (Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi, 2023), “Imaginal Crafts” (National Crafts Museum, Ishikawa, 2024), and “Aichi Triennale 2025” (Mufuuan, Aichi, 2025). Her book “PUNK” was published by Bungei Shunju in 2014. Oki’s work has been acquired by the Urawa Art Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, and BY ART MATTERS.

WORKS

GALLERY EXHIBITIONS

Junko Oki Promise

2024.4.26 Fri - 5.25 Sat

Tennoz

Junko Oki yoretsuremotsure

2022.10.15 Sat - 11.19 Sat

Tennoz

Junko Oki Yobitsugi

2021.6.5 Sat - 7.10 Sat

Tennoz

Junko Oki Embroidery

2020.7.18 Sat - 8.22 Sat

Tennoz

Junko Oki sense and sweetness

2018.6.9 Sat - 7.21 Sat

Tennoz

Junko Oki | Masaho Anotani

2017.9.2 Sat - 10.7 Sat

Tennoz

BIOGRAPHY

1963 Born in Saitama, Japan
1991 Graduated from Setsu Mode Seminar
Lives and works in Kanagawa, Japan

CV

Solo Exhibitions

2024 “Promise” KOSAKU KANECHIKA, Tokyo, Japan
2022 “yoretsuremotsure” KOSAKU KANECHIKA, Tokyo, Japan
“OKI Junko: The Exposed” The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
2021 “Yobitsugi” KOSAKU KANECHIKA, Tokyo, Japan
2020 “Embroidery” KOSAKU KANECHIKA, Tokyo, Japan
“anthology” Hagi Uragami Museum, Yamaguchi, Japan
2019 “Truly Indispensable” Office Baroque, Brussels, Belgium

2018 “sense and sweetness” KOSAKU KANECHIKA, Tokyo, Japan
2017 “Moon and chrysalis” Shiseido Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
“JUNKO OKI” Office Baroque, Brussels, Belgium
2016 “gris gris” DEE'S HALL, Tokyo, Japan
2015 “PUNK” DEE'S HALL, Tokyo, Japan / MORIS, Hyogo, Japan / Morioka Shoten, Tokyo, Japan
2014 “Red” DEE'S HALL, Tokyo, Japan
2013 “Zeze Hihi” shima, Aichi, Japan
“culte a la mode” DEE'S HALL, Tokyo, Japan
“culte a la carte” COW BOOKS, Tokyo, Japan
“Tattoo” Gallery B, Kanagawa, Japan
2012 “Outsider” DEE'S HALL, Tokyo, Japan
2011 “poesy” Morioka Shoten, Tokyo, Japan / COW BOOKS, Tokyo, Japan / shima, Aichi, Japan（2011–2012）
“Mental Nourishment” DEE'S HALL, Tokyo, Japan
2009 “Prayer” gallery feve, Tokyo, Japan
“Recycle” ARTS & SCIENCE Aoyama, Tokyo, Japan

Group Exhibitions

2025 “Roppongi Crossing 2025: What Passes Is Time. We Are Eternal.” Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
“Aichi Triennale 2025” Mufuuan, Aichi, Japan
2024 “Earth, Wind, and Fire: Visions of the Future from Asia” Okura Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan
“Imaginal Crafts” National Crafts Museum, Kanazawa, Japan
“Here and There and Back Again, Japanese Art 1964 – 2024” Nicolas Krupp, Basel, Switzerland
“ONE SINGLE BOOK” Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo, Japan
2023 “FUJI TEXTILE WEEK 2023” Around Honcho-Street, Shimoyoshida, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi, Japan
“WORLDS IN BALANCE: ART IN JAPAN FROM THE POSTWAR TO THE PRESENT” Okura Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan
“Collection Exhibition 1 It Knows: When Forms Become Mind” 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
2021 “GO FOR KOGEI 2021” Natadera Temple, Ishikawa, Japan
2019 “Where We Now Stand—In Order to Map the Future [2]” 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan

2018 “Yamagata Biennale 2018” Bunshokan, Yamagata, Japan
2017 “Junko Oki | Masaho Anotani” KOSAKU KANECHIKA, Tokyo, Japan
2016 “Collection 1 Nous—sewing and living” 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
“Finding Ling-Ling’s Head” Cookie Butcher, Antwerp, Belgium
“8 Femmes” Office Baroque, Brussels, Belgium

Public Collections

BY ART MATTERS, Hangzhou, China
Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
Urawa Art Museum, Urawa, Japan
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan

Awards

2017 The 11th shiseido art egg, shiseido art egg Award

PRESS

ARTIST WEBSITE

https://www.junkooki.com/