Japanese artist Noritoshi Hirakawa (b.1960) originally studied Applied Sociology and today works with photography, film, installation and performance. His works have been described as erotic and intimate and challenge mainstream views of sexuality and the assumption that male desire is inherently exploitative, objectifying and oppressive towards women. The artist believes that human activity forms the culture in which we live today and proposes to push the boundaries of perception in order to further culture as such. In particular, he identifies the camera as “a very good excuse to connect men’s and women’s desires”.

Hirakawa’s work has been exhibited over 300 times, including at the Venice Biennale, Venice; Istanbul Biennale, Istanbul; Museum fuer Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt; Centre Pompidou, Paris; MoMA PS1, New York; Kunsthalle, Vienna; and at Christopher Guye Gallerie, Zurich and Taka Ishii Gallery, Kyoto. The artist has also collaborated with poets, musicians, choreographers and architects and presented his work at Das TAT, Frankfurt; Danse Montpellier; and at Fondation Cartier, Paris.

Noritoshi Hirakawa lives and works in New York City.