Exhibiting Ainu Culture and Art
What, When, Where, How
More and more art made by the Ainu people has been exhibited, not only in Japan but around the world. There have been temporary and permanent showcasing initiatives that display the Ainu culture to the world. As Gilchrist (2016) argues, bringing in an indigenous work in the museum should go through a careful process so as not to materialize the work but to truly respect the culture and the spirit. While documentation and preservation are important, it is equally important to acknowledge the origin of museums and find a middle ground that honors the artists and their cultures.
Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park
Hokkaido, Japan
The first dedicated Ainu museum (and park) in Japan, which includes a national museum, an open-air park, Kotan (a traditional Ainu village), crafting studios, a memorial site, and spaces for activities such as the cultural exchange hall. It is also known as the Symbolic Space for Ethnic Harmony, the vast land of over 100,000 square meters invites us to an immersive experience of the Ainu culture.
2020 July - || Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park
Akan Ainu Art Week 2025
Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan
Akan Ainu Art Week returned again after its first time in 2024. It celebrates local writers and artists from Lake Akan Ainu Kotan, along with contemporary artists from diverse backgrounds, to celebrate the Ainu culture. There were installations, performances, tours, and workshops throughout the weeks.
2025 Oct 12 - 31
モレウのうたContemporary AINU ART and Crafts 2024
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Japan
This exhibition examines the creative power of Ainu art, notable for its diversity and design sensibility, based on moreu, a spiral shape that is one of the characteristics of Ainu patterns.
2024 Jan 13 - Mar 10
Ainu Stories: Contemporary Lives by the Saru River
Japan House, London, UK
Working in conjunction with the people of Biratori, who live in the Saru River basin, the exhibition focused on the vibrant and resilient culture of the Yuanmosir people in Ainu. This review also covers significantly detailed information about the Ainu from a third-person perspective.
2023 Nov 16 - 2024 Apr 21
Forest of Dreams
Portland Japanese Garden, USA
In celebration of the 60 years of the Sapporo-Portland Sister City Association, the curators from both countries collaborated to create an exhibition about the indigenous people in Japan and the Columbia River Region. It also touches on the past exhibition "2008 Parallel Worlds Art in the Garden," which was its first kind of collaborative effort to celebrate the indigenous cultures.
Photo by Jonathan Ley
2019 June 8 – July 21
More to come...
This is only a snippet of what has happened that is out in the public, and certainly not enough. In the Expand page, there will be more links to other exhibitions and organizations that host smaller events. I have focused on exhibitions this time, but in the future, I plan to have a list of individual Ainu artists.