Ron Mueck

Ron Mueck (born 1958 in Australia, based in the UK) is a contemporary artist who has pushed the boundaries of figurative sculpture through his innovative use of materials, techniques, and methods of expression. These sophisticated works are created through close observations of humanity combined with philosophical reflection, and are imbued with a sense of life. They capture the inner emotions and experiences of human beings, including loneliness, vulnerability, anxiety and resilience. The artist gained attention through his participation in Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection at the Royal Academy of Arts, London (1997), and has since held solo exhibitions around the world.

Ron Mueck’s sculptures challenge our perception of reality through the careful manipulation of scale by depicting figures much larger or smaller than their real-life counterparts. They possess a mysterious yet intensely powerful presence which interrogates our relationship with our bodies and, more broadly, with existence itself.

This exhibition is the continuance of a long-lasting relationship between the artist and the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain and was first presented in Paris in 2023, traveling to Milan and Seoul before arriving at Mori Art Museum. This is Mueck’s second solo show in Japan, following the retrospective held at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa in 2008. The exhibition includes a few of his large-scale works and displays approximately ten works ranging from early representative pieces to more recent creations. It also presents photographs and films by French photographer and filmmaker Gautier Deblonde which document Mueck’s studios and creative process and provide a comprehensive introduction to the artist’s practice.