Tatsumi Orimoto, 1946–2025
By EFFY CAO
TATSUMI ORIMOTO, Clock Man, Tokyo, Aug. 16, 1991, digital print, 90 × 60 cm. Courtesy Aoyama Meguro, Tokyo.
Japanese artist Tatsumi Orimoto, who is best known for his performance art piece Bread Man (1991–2024), passed away this month at the age of 78. In his eccentric practice, Orimoto examined social interactions in daily life through photography, performance, and relational aesthetics to address the communication problems in modern society.
Born in 1946 in Kawasaki, Japan, Orimoto moved to New York in his early 20s to work as an assistant for the famed Korean video art pioneer Nam June Paik. During his time in the US, he was exposed to experimental and interdisciplinary approaches that would later define his creative practice. Upon returning to Japan in 1977, Orimoto began to stage performances and street actions that explored themes of communication, aging, and human connection—often involving his elderly mother, his community, and even strangers.
His iconic performance work, Bread Man, involves Orimoto encasing his head and face in loaves of bread and walking through various public spaces. The project, which he started in the early ‘90s and continually performed at different venues across the world, offers a poignant reflection on the alienation and absurdity of contemporary existence.
Orimoto’s practice also extended to deeply personal ventures, such as his Art Mama photographic series (1996–2008). Here, he took portraits of himself and his elderly mother, Kazuo Orimoto, staging various performances in everyday scenarios. Through such works, he achieved widespread recognition for examining themes of care, vulnerability, and intergenerational relationships.
Orimoto’s work has been exhibited at various major institutions across Europe and Asia. He also took part in several international events, including the 49th Venice Biennale (2001) and the Gwangju Biennale (2000, 2002). Up until his final years, Orimoto dedicated himself to practicing art as a form of social engagement.
Effy Cao is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.
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