Atsuko Benten Barouh was born to a father who loved paintings and a mother who was a poet and a shodo-ka (Japanese calligraphy practitioner). She studied comparative ethnography at the Sorbonne University in Paris, and after graduating, she had various jobs including working as a fashion designer and an antiques dealer. In 1988 she became a managing director of the record label, Saravah, along with a music producer, Pierre Barouh. The label is still active today.

 

In 2003, she set up an alternative gallery space, L’amusée de Keyaki, in Tokyo, followed by a music venue, Saravah Tokyo, in 2011. 2013 saw the opening of ATUSKOBAROUH, an art gallery. Both the gallery and the music venue were located in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. She curated over 200 art exhibitions and produced over 1,000 concerts in France and Japan during this time.

 

Japanese artists, working in traditional Japanese calligraphy, went over to the USA and influenced and inspired the American avant-garde movement. Atsuko’s practice follows in their footsteps, as well as drawing on methods often used by action painters from that time, aiming to bridge the gap between the Japanese and the Western culture.

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Born in Tokyo, Japan

Lives and works in London, Tokyo and Paris

 

2020 Exhibition and launch of a catalogue at Chez Atout Livre, Paris

2020 Solo exhibition at White Conduit Project London
2017 Artist residence at Échangeur 22, Avignon, France
2017 Performance at Peckham International  Art Fair London
2017 Group exhibition at White Conduit Project, London
2015 -2018 Open studios at Kingsgate Workshops, London

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curation