EXHIBITION: YAMAMOTO Kaori

Kaori Yamamoto is creating a self portrait entitled 'Room of Love' based on the theme of love hotels. Whilst love hotels are an undeniable aspect of our culture, they exist on the fringes of society and are seldom talked about as part of everyday life. However, their exterior and interior design is rich in a kitsch sense of style which is truly individual to Japanese culture. Whilst this is a culturally interesting topic in itself, Yamamoto is not just aiming to catalogue love hotels. She dresses up in different guises, portraying women in different images, and takes photographs which tell the stories of 'love' which are played out between men and women in those rooms. She has not chosen modern love hotels, which are called 'Fashion Hotels', instead she has chosen images of seedy women, such as Office Workers who are having an affair, or high School girls engaged in prostitution, or prostitutes themselves who come to shabby, run-down hotels.

Toshihiro ASAI, curator, Art Tower Mito

YAMAMOTO Kaori