PROFILE
Ken+Julia Yonetani [Japan/Australia]
Australian-Japanese artist unit Ken + Julia Yonetani create large-scale installations that often relate to the environment. They have created a wide range of works utilizing salt, sugar, uranium glass, and other materials, related to ecological issues. Their work has gained international attention for its combination of unusual materials and dramatic beauty, and for touching on contemporary issues in a way that is poignant as well as interactive, engaging and visually stunning.
Ken + Julia Yonetani have exhibited in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, including as part of the Australian representation for the Venice Biennale of Art (2009). They have had solo exhibitions at venues such as the National Gallery of Australia (2015) and Mori Art Museum Collection Tokyo (2019), and held a major survey show in Japan at the newly constructed Kadokawa Culture Museum in 2021-2. Recent exhibitions include Matsumoto Art and Architecture Festival (2024), Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale Korea (2024) and a solo exhibition at Art Cruise Gallery by Baycrew’s Tokyo (2025). Ken has a PhD from Sydney University in Visual Arts and Julia a PhD in Asia-Pacific History from the Australian National University and an MA in International Relations from Tokyo University. Both have unusual career paths, Ken was originally a foreign exchange broker and Julia and lecturer in Asian Studies, prior to embarking on a career in visual art. They are represented by Mizuma Art Gallery.