Sea of the Universe: Sculptural Self-Portraits of Mari Katayama

Mari Katayama is a Japanese contemporary multi-media artist born in 1987, working primarily in photography, sculpture, textile and self-portraiture as provocation. Katayama examines ideas of disability, femininity, and physicality through the use of prosthetics and bodily objectification. Following three artwork series, bystander, you’re mine, and High Heel Project, this essay will attempt to examine and contextualize key themes embodied within Mari Katayama’s work, particularly with regard to disability and femininity.