A Talk with artist Mari Katayama

The Invisible Dog and Atelier Jolie are thrilled to present a series of works by Mari Katayama and to host a talk with the artist.

Mari Katayama’s artistic practice begins with intricately hand-sewn fabric-based objects and expands across photography, video, and activist art projects.

Deeply autobiographical yet universally resonant, her work invites reflection on how society imposes fixed roles and forms upon individuals—defining the boundaries between “you” and “I,” and shaping notions of what is considered “correct.”

The hand-sewn objects that appear in her self-portraits continually shift in form and meaning, emerging as symbols of cyclical life and interconnected existence. The mirrored stage composed for her tree of life series blurs distinctions between ceiling and floor, reality and reflection. Everything exists in relation—mutually influencing one another, as opposites coexist and give rise to new forms. Like a mirror reflecting the world, Katayama’s practice is a ceaseless act of transformation.

Using a medium format film camera, she captures time itself in a single shutter release—unassisted by multiple exposures nor digital editing. Her motto is always to shoot by herself, using a remote release or timer. This act suggests the delicate tension between taking and being taken.

Her study for caryatid series draws inspiration from the caryatids of ancient Greek and Roman architecture—sculpted figures that resolutely and elegantly support architectural façades while bridging the earth and the sky. Fascinated by these forms since childhood, Katayama translates her own sense of disconnection from the ground into images of herself standing with her prosthetic legs, embodying both levitation and rootedness.

How do we survive in a multilayered society while holding diverse roles in different communities? While upholding the challenges and labels that fall alongside hopes and opportunities, Katayama defines making everyday life as the act of standing firmly on one’s own ground. It is a declaration of intent—a quiet yet powerful gesture toward sustaining and protecting the future.

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Host or Publisher The Invisible Dog Art Center & the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF)