Talk by Namiko Kunimoto on Keiichi Tanaami: Commercial War

Gain insights into the artistic vision of one of Japan's most influential postwar creators through the perspective of a leading scholar in Japanese contemporary art. The Public Talk by Namiko Kunimoto on Keiichi Tanaami: Commercial War will be held on Saturday, March 29 at the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami.

This presentation explores Tanaami's significant contributions to art history as he emerged from the complex landscape of 1960s Japan—a period marked by postwar recovery, psychedelic culture, sexual revolution and economic growth. Dr. Kunimoto will examine how Tanaami navigated and responded to these cultural shifts through his diverse work across animation, collage and other media, while also highlighting his connections to important contemporaries like Andy Warhol and Tsujimura Kazuko.

The talk investigates how the visual developments of this transformative decade affected perceptions of political, spiritual and psychological dimensions, and how Tanaami's distinctive artistic responses addressed these questions.

Dr. Namiko Kunimoto brings expertise to this discussion as Director of the Center for Ethnic Studies at Ohio State University and Associate Professor in the Department of History of Art. Her scholarly focus encompasses modern and contemporary Japanese art, with particular attention to diasporic art, gender, race and transnationalism. Her academic career includes numerous publications and prestigious awards, including Japan Foundation Fellowships and the College Art Association Millard/Meiss Author Award.

This event offers an opportunity to deepen understanding of both Tanaami's work and the broader cultural context that shaped his artistic development during a pivotal period in Japanese history.