Morimura Yasumasa: A cross-cultural study in the self-portrait, self-definition and the creative process

Sixty-six of the early self-portraits by MORIMURA Yasumasa (1951--), done between 1985 and 1998 are described and analyzed phenomenologically in order to discover characteristics which are a function of culture based self definition and cultural values underpinning the creative process of this contemporary Japanese artist, the first in the history of Japanese art to focus on the genre of the self-portrait. The research body of imagery is further analyzed as it is presented in the narrative form of a manga, the "Kisekae Ningen Daiichigo" 1994, by Morimura, and is found to represent a personal mythology organized around classic elements found worldwide relating to the call, initiation and mission of a shaman. Two cross-cultural overviews place Morimura's imagery relative to important antecedents and references in the world history of portraiture, culture based self definition and the creative process.;The study references ancient Japanese mythology, Western art history, Japanese and American popular culture and Japanese aesthetics based in Shinto, Buddhism as well as the traditions of the Japanese shaman, who are primarily female.;Themes analyzed include dismemberment, the primordial twins, the double, duality, the doll, the mask, impersonation, alchemy and the androgyne. Important symbols found are the mirror, the sword and the jewel which are central to the imperial tradition of the Japanese.;In all, the work of MORIMURA Yasumasa, while presenting an initial impression of strong Western influence and derivation, is found to represent an aesthetic firmly based in, and a valid contemporary extension of, more than 2000 years of Japanese history and culture.