Thandiwe Muriu: KYOTOGRAPHIE

193 Gallery is proud to highlight the participation of Thandiwe Muriu in the 14th edition of KYOTOGRAPHIE, unfolding across multiple sites in Kyoto from April 18 to May 17, 2026. Within this edition, her work enters into dialogue with the city’s textile heritage.

 

At Kondaya Genbei Chikuin-no-Ma, in the historic house of the 280-year-old obi sash manufacturer, she presents CAMO, an exhibition of her signature series of vibrant portraits. This body of work originates from a desire to redefine womanhood and to express feelings of invisibility. Shaped by her journey from so-called “women’s work” into a career as an advertising photographer, Muriu reflects on the societal expectations surrounding women’s roles. Engaging in a dialogue between tradition and modernity, she uses textiles and everyday household objects, transforming her subjects into a surface for reflection on identity, representation, and community.

 

In Demachi Masugata Shopping Arcade and at Delta Café, visitors encounter her latest works, created during her residency in Kyoto last summer. Immersed in Japanese textile craftsmanship, Muriu drew inspiration from Kyoto’s fabric landscape to develop a new chapter of her CAMO series, titled More Than Half, in which she reflects on themes of belonging and one’s place within a community. Shifting her focus from camouflage to coexistence, Muriu anchors her subjects in the kimono, a key symbol of Japanese culture, while placing them against wax textiles often associated with Africanness. Through this dialogue, she addresses the experience of Afro-Asian (Blasian) women, whose identities naturally bridge two cultures.

 

The exhibition CAMO was presented  with the support of Longchamp.