The late Sayoko Yamaguchi's exhibition, "Yamaguchi Sayoko: Wearer of the Future," will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo from April 11 to June 28. Sayoko was the first Asian model to be featured in the Paris Collection, a top model who embodied Eastern beauty. She worked at both the Paris and New York Collections and was also an exclusive model for Shiseido. In 1974, she was featured in Newsweek magazine as one of the "four top models in the world," and in 1977, a bob-haired "SAYOKO mannequin" created by London's Adeloux company graced shop windows around the world. Meanwhile, her acting career began with a performance in Shuji Terayama's play "The Mysterious Chinese Official." She also worked as a creator, designing costumes for Sankai Juku operas. She subsequently developed performances that combined fashion, video, music, literature, and dance. In 2001, the exhibition "Mori's Color Space Part 5: Sayoko" was held, showcasing works inspired by her by various designers. She remained at the forefront of her time until her sudden death in 2007. This exhibition traces Sayoko's path through treasured materials such as magazines, photographs, and scrapbooks, as well as Shiseido archives. It also features works by designers who used her as a muse, and a "SAYOKO mannequin" displaying her personal clothing. It explores Sayoko's creativity, as she called herself a "wearist" and elevated the act of "dressing" to a performance. Furthermore, a high-definition video of a performance she performed in her final years will be screened. Installations dedicated to Sayoko will also be presented by artists who previously collaborated with Sayoko and are now active in their respective fields, including Naohiro Ukawa, Fuyuki Yamakawa, Yasunori Ikunishi, Yasunori Kakegawa, and Exonemo. Furthermore, Yasumasa Morimura, with whom Sayoko was scheduled to exchange letters in newspapers shortly before her sudden death, will present a new work dedicated to her.

During the exhibition, there will be a workshop where you can experience "Ten Gestures" by Michio Ito, the dance method that Sayoko also learned. Other events include a makeup workshop and talk event by Sakae Tomikawa, who perfected "Sayoko Makeup," as well as a fashion show and performance night.


[Event Information]
Yamaguchi Sayoko: Wearer of the Future
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Address: 4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Dates: April 11th to June 28th
Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 (last admission 17:30)
Closed: Mondays (open on May 4th), May 7th