Focusing on a central mythical character, Study of a Samoan Savage records Kihara's Maui figure, a Polynesian demi-god, in a series of actions and poses that reflect on historical representations of Samoan men, as well as traditional Samoan dance and contemporary culture.
The use of photography to measure and subjugate indigenous people was common practice in the 19th century.
Kihara reproduces the style of these images in a series of works that feature Maui with measuring tools, focusing on particular characteristics of the figure.
A Vernier caliper measures the width and length of his nose, his skin is pinched by a skinfold caliper, and his body is revealed in a triptych of full-length portraits.
Maui Descending a Staircase I (After Duchamp) and the silent video work Maui Descending a Staircase II (After Duchamp) reference European modern art, but also the work of photographers such as Eadweard Muybridge, whose pioneering stop-motion photography made way for anthropologists to study variances in human movement.
Like Kihara's 2012 video work Siva in Motion, which also referenced stop-motion photography, these new video and movement photographs are historically nuanced and aesthetically captivating.
Kihara continues to be a socially and historically critical and engaging artist with works that have a strong visual impact.
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The accompanying image IS NOT BY YUKI KIHARA. This gives a very skewed understanding of her work.
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