The Many Facets Of Tomoko Sawada

25 Feb 2008 Category: Events & Exhibitions, Features, Japan, Photography

The Many Facets Of Tomoko Sawada

Citing 90's Japanese youth culture in a humourous way - Tomoko Sawada as uber-tanned ganguro girls in "cover" of the "Cover/Face" series, 2002. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

In her photo works, Kobe-based Tomoko Sawada shows us shifting aspects of her personality. By disguising herself as multiple women of Japanese society, she is playing with social norms and gender roles without judgment but simply imitating them with humour. Her work has been displayed as part of female art exhibitions such as last year’s global feminism at the Brooklyn Museum. Right now you can see it in the Self/Other group exhibition at Tokyo’s MOMAT (info below.) PingMag tried to grab her for a chat.

Written by Verena

Referencing youth culture: “cover” of the “Cover/Face” series, 2002. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

In the Western world you have artists such as Cindy Sherman, who is reflecting gender stereotypes and the Western image of women by acting out women’s fantasies, embodying celebrity wannabes, desperate housewives, or posing in film stills of imaginary movies.
Now, as with fellow Japanese artists Yasumasa Morimura, Tomoko Sawada has her own approach, using Japanese subjects and her unique conduct in the photo sessions: The Kobe native playfully poses in uniforms of everyday Japanese life, incorporating office ladies, giggling high-school girls, or trying to make a good impression in omiai photos. For these formal portraits of women seeking an arranged marriage, she repeatedly went to a professional photographer, each time taking on the guise of a different person: neatly dressed worker in a business suit, Stepford wife-a-like or kimono-clad lady.

It will always be me: Tomoko Sawada in 400 disguises. From the “ID400(#1-100) (detail)” photo booth series, 1998. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

For another project, she disguised herself as a ganguro, the uber-tanned Shibuya girls who idolised pop starlet Namie Amuro and drew from her neon chic to resemble mutant Californian beach girls. Tomoko imitates them without mocking, just showing a lighter, ironic side.


Incorporating everyday life uniforms - in a “Costume/YAOYA,” a vegetable shop… 2003 © Tomoko Sawada

… and as dutiful “Costume/FUKEI,” a police woman, 2003. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

But, who is Tomoko Sawada really? Since there are hundreds of photo booth pictures of the monochrome “ID400″ series, made between 1998 and 2001, showing her in hundreds of disguises - the chubby faced school girl, the chuckling ponytailed student with make-up, the stern-looking recruit, and so many dozens of other roles - it’s impossible to find the real one out since she shows you only the myriad facets of her mirror ball.

Obliging “Costume/OKAMI (proprietress),” 2003 Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

Strikingly, Tomoko explains the making of “ID400″ in her statement for accepting the Canon - New Cosmos of Photography award in 2000:
I was bound by an inferiority complex. When I started to take pictures, I loved my image taken in photos, which looked attractive and cute. I could make myself look like a model or an actress in pictures. As I looked at my pictures again and again, the gap between my real image and my image in a picture widened. In other words, my appearance could be changed easily, but my personality did not change.
An ID picture proves the identity or the existence of a person in the picture. That is, even if someone does not exist in this world, if he or she appears in an ID picture, that person can prove his or her existence. One’s personality is said to show in one’s appearance. However, even if one’s appearance changes, the essence does not change. Such a contradiction motivated me to create my work. Anyone in these ID pictures could be myself.
In digital worlds, people would say iPhoto, therefore I am. Tomoko took the shots in the late 90s in a conventional photo booth located in a parking lot along the Kobe subway, where she used the restroom in front of the booth to dress up, unintentionally scaring away some of the restroom’s vistors.

From the “Recruit” series, 2006: the right portrait for an assessment centre. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

Interesting! We wanted to hear much more about her, but when we approached for an interview recently, she was reluctant to reveal much of the real Tomoko. However, her quite intuitive approach is obvious - when asked how she would prepare for a photo shoot and how she did research on the subjects before, Tomoko simply replied:
I don’t really do any detailed research before a new photo shoot. And preparing for a photo session would purely consist of the act of physical transformation:
I start by getting the necessary costume, and then I look for the wig and accessories. Sometimes I lose weight or put on pounds for a certain photo, said Tomoko.

“School Days/B,” 2004: school days as recurring incidents. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

But then again, her answer about preparing for her various roles revealed:
I am not really sure if I am like an actor, because I don’t really put my emotion into becoming another person. I suppose what is the same is that, like an actor, I change my physical appearance for the photos.


Flattering picture for a possible date - “OMIAI♡,” 2001. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

“OMIAI♡,” 2001 - show my best side. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

So the artist is not play-acting but rather mimicking someone’s mere appearance, apparel and pose. But that would still take some degree of acting, or masquerading at least. She doesn’t agree. When asked to what extent she acted or got into the personas she was representing, Tomoko insisted: I don’t perform the roles at all.
Depending on how she would define the line between posing and performing…

The face as projection surface. From the “Early Days” series, 1996. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

But can it be that she still acts as the blank surface we project onto? Then what about her office lady or omiai-hopeful guises? Isn’t that a statement against traditional Japanese gender roles?

I haven’t really thought about it.

But there must be something she feels about her own tradition and how important it is for her.

When you talk about tradition you have to realise that there are multiple traditions. I suppose I don’t want beautiful things that we have had for a long time to disappear, was the polite answer.
But even then, her formal portraits of women wanting omiai, an arranged date for a possible marriage, seem revealing in how they present these women (and some of Tomoko’s friends have participated in omiai.)


Deformation experiments, from “Early Days,” 1996. Courtesy of MEM Gallery © Tomoko Sawada

Another part of Japanese society is also the focus of attention of Tomoko Sawada: the ganguro movement among Shibuya girls. What did Tomoko think was the most important thing for the young girls with a sun tan and a lot of make-up she portrayed in her series?

I really couldn’t answer that question. I didn’t really want to understand those girls, I was just referencing their look, she said. Echoing herself in them, maybe? We’ll leave that to speculation…

Lastly, regarding future projects, she sayd that she aims to produce more video works. Any other final statement?

No matter what I wear, I am still Tomoko Sawada, she said.
Indeed, because of all these disguises, she is what she is: a very interesting person.

Tomoko, thanks for the talk.
Folks, hurry up for the group exhibition with her at MOMAT!

Exhibition Info:

Self/Other group exhibition
At MOMAT - National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Address: 3-1 Kitanomaru-koen, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Map.
Schedule: Running through March 9th, 2008.
Open Tue to Sat from 10.30am to 5pm.
Fee: ¥420.

26 Comments

  1. kawayi..!

    Posted by: x-noise on February 25th, 2008 at 7:28 pm

  2. wow, cool!

    Posted by: otakugirl on February 25th, 2008 at 8:00 pm

  3. Love the class photo.

    Posted by: Mariya Marie on February 26th, 2008 at 1:14 am

  4. Love the class photo as well!

    Posted by: Adriana on February 26th, 2008 at 6:52 am

  5. awesome!!

    Posted by: anne on February 26th, 2008 at 8:10 am

  6. Did you not get just a little inspired by my blog entry I posted a year ago?

    http://daraho.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/the-many-faces-of-tomoko-sawada/

    Posted by: David Raho on February 26th, 2008 at 9:48 am

  7. [...] http://pingmag.jp/2008/02/25/the-many-facets-of-tomoko-sawada/ [...]

    Posted by: The Many Faces of Tomoko Sawada « The First Word Blog on February 26th, 2008 at 9:56 am

  8. To David: actually I didn’t see your title before ^_^
    but thanks for the info. was meant to be as in the link, but…

    Posted by: Verena on February 26th, 2008 at 10:07 am

  9. coooooooooool

    Posted by: diablo2 on February 26th, 2008 at 4:40 pm

  10. Dear Verena, Much obliged to you for changing the title. You and your readers are always welcome at http://daraho.wordpress.com for something a little different. DAR

    Posted by: David Raho on February 26th, 2008 at 6:16 pm

  11. Nothing original on the internet… not even the Thousand Faces o’ Tomoko!

    Damn if creativity don’t deserve some recompense.

    Posted by: Original Yankster on February 26th, 2008 at 7:29 pm

  12. omg! i feel i can relate so very much to her work and what she is trying to do.

    Posted by: qing on February 27th, 2008 at 1:39 am

  13. interesting…

    Posted by: sharika on February 27th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

  14. very interesting project you had
    love the class photo
    http://www.kombizz.photopoints.com

    Posted by: KOMBIZZ on February 27th, 2008 at 2:05 pm

  15. Oh, this relatively uninhibited style and Fangdangbuji, it is quite like

    Posted by: yangduxun on February 27th, 2008 at 3:18 pm

  16. I first saw Tomoko’s work on the cover of Asahi Camera in May 2004 (Yaoya photo) — she continues to impress..

    Great post, ping!

    Posted by: CRTZMO on February 28th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

  17. [...] PingMag - The Tokyo-based magazine about “Design and Making Things” » Archive » The Many Faces… [...]

    Posted by: ponchorama!!! » The Many Faces Of Tomoko Sawada on February 29th, 2008 at 5:02 am

  18. Some of her photos were in National Contemporary Art museum. I liked them more in real space.

    Posted by: 悠 on March 3rd, 2008 at 5:53 pm

  19. problem is just, that this is not original and this little girl just looks the same on every photo!

    Posted by: xxx on March 7th, 2008 at 6:05 pm

  20. what a cool photos!!!!!
    SUGOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII :)
    xoxox

    Posted by: glo on March 12th, 2008 at 6:58 pm

  21. [...] PINGMAG the many facets of tomoko sawada: Reminiscent of Cindy Sherman and -dare I say- more interesting. « Holga does Wired [...]

    Posted by: Tomoko Sawada « We Mine Deeper on September 13th, 2008 at 9:46 pm

  22. [...] She might not be as beautiful as Cindy Sherman but that doesn’t prevent Tomoko Sawada to create compelling images. Her “School Days” series shows groups of girls in their high school uniforms lined up in neat rows. At first sight, they are all different. But a closer watch reveals that each of the girl (including the teacher’s) has the face of Sawada who with subtlety varies her smile, adds an accessory in her hair, stands with an arrogant stance or adopts a demure posture. What was a sweet and innocent school portraits turns into a satire of Japan’s homogeneity and emphasis on conformity (interview of the artist on Pingmag.) [...]

    Posted by: Heavy Light: Recent Photography and Video From Japan on September 21st, 2008 at 3:46 am

  23. [...] 或许泽田知子（Tomoko Sawada）并没有Cindy Sherman那样美丽动人，但这并不妨碍她创作出令人惊叹的画面。她的系列作品《在学校的日子》展示了一群穿着高中校服的女学生整齐地并排坐在一起。第一眼看过去，她们都是不同的。然而凑近了看，就会发现每个女孩（包括那名老师）的脸其实都是泽田知子本人的，只不过加了一些细微的变化，譬如不同的微笑、发饰、傲慢或娴静的站姿等等。于是一张甜蜜而天真的学生合影就变成了对日本社会统一性与服从性的讽刺。（见Pingmag上对艺术家本人的采访。） [...]

    Posted by: 重光:日本当代摄影影像展 on February 24th, 2009 at 2:57 am

  24. [...] 或许泽田知子（Tomoko Sawada）并没有Cindy Sherman那样美丽动人，但这并不妨碍她创作出令人惊叹的画面。她的系列作品《在学校的日子》展示了一群穿着高中校服的女学生整齐地并排坐在一起。第一眼看过去，她们都是不同的。然而凑近了看，就会发现每个女孩（包括那名老师）的脸其实都是泽田知子本人的，只不过加了一些细微的变化，譬如不同的微笑、发饰、傲慢或娴静的站姿等等。于是一张甜蜜而天真的学生合影就变成了对日本社会统一性与服从性的讽刺。（见Pingmag上对艺术家本人的采访。） [...]

    Posted by: Heavy Light: Recent Photography and Video From Japan 重光:日本当代摄影影像展 : nonone on March 12th, 2009 at 7:02 pm

  25. The Kobe native playfully poses in uniforms of everyday Japanese life, incorporating office ladies, giggling high-school girls, or trying to make a good impression in omiai photos.

    Posted by: Wrought Iron Furniture on July 31st, 2009 at 11:14 pm

  26. [...] her fellow Japanese self-costuming artists Yasumasa Morimura and Tomoko Sawada,  Kimiko Yoshida’s work shows that art is transformation and photography, in particular, is [...]

    Posted by: Big In Japan on August 28th, 2009 at 3:21 pm

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