Naoko is featured in the Directory Spotlight of We Are Here Scotland. Read Naoko’s full interview here: https://www.weareherescotland.com/spotlight-current/naoko-mabon

“Synthesis is a striking artist’s book that brings together six years of work by acclaimed Japanese multimedia artist Mari Katayama. ⁠Created between 2019 and 2025 – a period marked by the birth of her daughter and a return to Gunma, the mountainous province where she grew up – the book brings together nine photographic series, including the brand new tree of life, all produced in her home studio. This space becomes both a site of reflection and a stage for transformation. ” (From MACK website)

Feel extremely honoured to be able to be a small part of this deeply exciting book project through translating Mari’s text into English. Book cover image is from MACK website, where a copy can be purchased.

© Mari Katayama. Courtesy of Mari Katayama Studio and Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve, Paris.
The work used for the book cover is tree of life #012. This work amongst tree of life #004, tree of life #011, tree of life #012, tree of life #013, tree of life #017, and tree of life #018 were commissioned by the V&A Parasol Foundation Women in Photography project with support from the Parasol Foundation Trust.

Naoko Mabon conducts an one-month research residency at Lusaka Contemporary Art Centre in Zambia.

Naoko comments: “Since this is my first contact with the African continent, I will try to visit various practitioners or places in this residency to attain a deeper and physical understanding of wider contexts and broaden my network—with a scope for a future collaboration across Zambia, Scotland, and beyond. Funding support from Hope Scott Trust, which made my trip possible. Thank you so much.”

This residency also marks the 10th year of Naoko’s career as a freelance curator—aka WAGON. Massive shout out for every single one of you who have been supporting WAGON to run until this day. Thank you!

To follow Naoko’s activities in Zambia, please check her Instagram.

After researching for a year with Sachiko Yanagihara (artist and the representative of ALGAE, who manages Coelacanth – Bushiro Mohri Memorial Museum) and Chikako Shakudo (curator at the Kurobe City Art Museum), finally “Bushiro Mohri Archive” has been launched on the Coelacanth website: https://coelacanth-bmmm.jp/

Naoko Mabon has contributed a review on the “tangled” two exhibitions organised by the Orkney Japan Association for this year’s Orkney International Science Festival, which is featured in The Orcadian newspaper (week of 19 September 2024 edition). To read the article, please click here.

We Move As A Murmuration, the current exhibition at Timespan in Helmsdale was reviewed by artist and writer Dr. Crystal Bennes for The Penitent Review. Please click here to read the review.

Please click “read more” button below to view installation shots from the exhibition.

“Art should be for everyone” – a short film by Tate that captures many different and sparkling “usual” moments of the practice of the artist Mari Katayama has been published. (Naoko Mabon was involved in the production process.) To watch this film on YouTube, please click here.

Naoko Mabon contributed an article to ARTnews JAPAN on the exhibition Women In Revolt!: Art, Activism and the Women’s movement in the UK 1970–1990 at Tate Britain in London, based on an interview with the lead curator Linsey Young. To read the article (in Japanese), please click here.

メイボン尚子が『ARTnews JAPAN』にテート・ブリテンで開催の「Women In Revolt!: Art, Activism and the Women’s movement in the UK 1970–1990（反乱する女たち：1970-1990年の英国におけるアート、アクティヴィズム、女性運動）」展について、本展のリード・キュレーター、リンゼイ・ヤング氏に行ったインタビューを下敷きに書いた文章を寄せました。こちらから記事をご覧いただけます。

Naoko Mabon’s interview is featured in #TheNatureKind, a series of weekly conversations with nature-lovers who live, create and act for the planet, of Where the Leaves Fall magazine. Where the Leaves Fall is a magazine exploring humankind’s connection with nature through the intersection between social justice and the environment, art, science, culture, philosophy and food.

To read the full interview, please click here.

Naoko Mabon contributed an article to Bijutsutecho magazine (web edition) reporting on the exhibition Relationship between Bushiro Mohri and Kurobe, recently held at Kurobe City Art Museum in Toyama Prefecture. It was an exhibition celebrating the 100th birthday of the late sculptor.

To read the article (in Japanese), please click here.
(Please note: there is a small membership fee to read the whole article, but there seems to be a two-week trial for the membership.)

メイボン尚子が『美術手帖』（ウェブ版）に、4月半ばから6月末にかけて富山県・ 黒部市美術館で開催された「Kurobe Art Research vol.2 生誕100年 毛利武士郎と黒部」展をレポートする文章を寄せました。こちらから記事をご覧いただけます。（＊有料記事ですが会員2週間お試しもあるようです）

The exhibition catalogue of the “Relationship Between Mohri Bushiro and Kurobe” show has been published by the Kurobe City Art Museum. The exhibition was co-organised with the Coelacanth – Bushiro Mohri Memorial Museum. As well as the installation views of the exhibitions and texts by the exhibition curator Chikako Shakudo tracing the trajectory of how Mohri’s work had been developed in each era, it importantly contains the most updated lists of works, bibliography and biography of the sculptor. The catalogue also features a new essay written by Naoko Mabon, Mohri Bushiro researcher. To purchase a copy, please visit Kurobe City Art Museum’s website. (Please note: the catalogue is written only in Japanese.)

「毛利武士郎と黒部」展の図録が黒部市美術館より出版されました。本展は「シーラカンス 毛利武士郎記念館」との共催による展覧会。展示風景や、本展企画担当の尺戸智佳子（黒部市美術館学芸員）による各時代ごとにどう作品が展開したかを辿る解説テキストに加え、今回大幅にアップデートされた作品リスト、文献リスト、略歴を掲載。また、毛利武士郎研究者のメイボン尚子による新テキストも掲載されています。ご購入は黒部市美術館のウェブサイトをご覧ください。

Naoko Mabon contributed an article to Bijutsutecho magazine (web) reporting Ēastre Weekend programme held at Timespan in Helmsdale over the weekend of 8-9th April. Centred around the launch of photographer Lina Pallotta’s first photography book Porpora, featuring trans activist and writer Porpora Marcasciano, the programme explored experience of transition, resistance, community, celebration and love through an act as a collective process.

To read the article (in Japanese), please click here.
(Please note: there is a small membership fee to read the whole article, but there seems to be a two-week trial for the membership.)

Naoko Mabon has contributed a text to introduce On Sonorous Seas to the latest Bijutsutecho issue (April 2023, special feature: Black Art). Triggered by one stranded whale came ashore at North end of the Isle of Iona, this project explores the impact of military sonar on the marine ecosystem around the Hebrides in Scotland and gives voice to invisible/hard-to-see things in the deep seas.

For more on the issue and to order a copy, please click here.

Naoko Mabon has contributed a text woven from the perspective of translation through her own experience to the Storytelling Table Runner focused section in the new issue of Bijutsutecho magazine (Jan 2023 issue) featuring the practice of the artist Tomoko Konoike.

For more on the issue and to order a copy, please click here.

Such an honour and pleasure to be included in the Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History amongst other experts with a paper “International Conglomerate: Collaborations of Ilana Halperin and Naoko Mabon Between Scotland and Japan”.

Many congratulations and thank you very much to all the organising, editing, reviewing and designing team at the Scottish Society for Art History, and of course, to Ilana. Thank you also Dr Leslie Mabon of the School of Engineering and Innovation, The Open University, for support with proofreading and with English language phrasing.

Journal launch event (online) is planned in January 2023.
For more on the Scottish Society for Art History, please click here.

Naoko Mabon has been awarded the VACMA 21/22 (Argyll & Bute) through CHARTS (supported by funders Argyll and Bute Council and Creative Scotland). This support enables Naoko to enrol on a supported distance learning Gaelic course by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, University of the Highlands and Islands, to listen and respond to often invisible and historically underrepresented voices and issues of specific localities.

To read more on the VACMA 21/22 awardees and their projects, please click here.

Climate Action Points poster was designed and printed as part of the series of activities supported and delivered by Mandate Climate Action Fund of Scottish Contemporary Art Network & Engage Scotland.

These action points and questions were raised during the Climate Fresk workshops (co-)facilitated by Naoko Mabon in February-June 2022 across Scotland: Edinburgh, Helmsdale, Iona and online.

A few physical posters in A2 are still remaining, and a printable digital format is available on request. If you are interested in receiving them, please feel free to contact.

Climate Fresk is a participatory and creative workshop of collective intelligence that aims to engage people on climate change. Based on a 42-card game developed from the scientific reports of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Climate Fresk explains the complex links between causes and consequences of climate change, and empowers actions.

Naoko Mabon has contributed a text to the new collection Felt Events, which explores the multifaceted conceptual practice of the artist Ilana Halperin. Edited by Dr Catriona McAra.

Naoko Mabon contributed a text on Tomoko Konoike’s Storytelling Table Runner project to Japan Quality magazine (web version). The text is based on Naoko’s experience as a translator/mediator in the June-2021 event featuring the project as part of Neighbouring programme of Glasgow International. 

The same text has been also featured in The Drouth, the host platform of the Neighbouring programme. 

Warmest thanks go to: Akane Nakamori at Suisei-Art; Japan Quality magazine; Tomoko Konoike; Mayako Murai; Yuko Shoji; Johnny Rodger at The Drouth; Glasgow International; and all the event organisers and participants namely: Mónica Laiseca; Carol Dunn; Jessica Holdengarde; Megan Lucille Boettcher; and Stefanie Cheong.

To read the piece in the Japan Quality, please click here.
To read the piece in The Drouth, please click here.