Contemporary artist Yasumasa Morimura was born on June 11, 1951, in Osaka Prefecture, and currently resides in Osaka City. He graduated from the Kyoto City University of Arts, where he completed his Master's degree. In 1985, he exhibited a self-portrait in which he impersonated Van Gogh. Since then, he has continued to create photographs and videos based on the theme of "self-portraits," disguising himself as famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa, former film actresses, and 20th-century figures. In 1989, he was nominated for the Alberto category (New Artists category) at the Venice Biennale, also known as the "Olympics of Art," and has since held exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. He has received numerous awards, including the 52nd Mainichi Art Award, the Photographic Society of Japan Award, and the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2011. He has been selected as the artistic director of the Yokohama Triennale 2014, an international contemporary art exhibition opening next August.