Exhibit Introduction
Circumference of the Sun
November 15, 2025 - Jan 15, 2026
Circumference of the Sun is a solo exhibition by Kioto Aoki that considers the body through cultural, material, and temporal archives through photographic avenues and techniques. Mythological ancestry and technical etymology converge in this exhibition through visual, formal, temporal, and process-based series of works that propose the various configurations between the body, light, photography, and the sun. The sun is a central entity in Japanese culture and mythology. The origin story recounts the lineage of Japanese people to the Shinto goddess of the sun, Amaterasu. Photography means “drawing with light” and is now the word used to describe the general process of exposing light upon light-sensitive materials. Another word was once proposed to also describe this process: photogene, meaning “produced by light.”Light-produced, descending from light, like the people of Japan.
An image of the sun as it is represented in the national flag is created from a circumference of 213 cinematic frames, the exact number of frames equal to the artist’s height. A running time of 8.875 seconds when projected as a moving image. Ceramic chopstick rests inspired by softer forms of prehistoric sculptures and pottery offer an image of the artists’s hand as sculptural imprints. Sun-reliant cyanotypes present technical correlations between photography and the sun.
Photography facilitated the collection of objects, people, and places, creating a new system of visual information and archiving. Lensless processes continue to be used in photograms of the artists’s signature bun, which mark the accumulation of the artist’s time in the darkroom. Questions around methods of archival collections are addressed in the work A Japanese Girl, where notions of cultural biases are challenged through an eschewing of the frontal gaze in an artist-expanded archive. The activation of archives continues with 35mm slides coming from Heritage Museum collection in conversation with Aoki’s own photographs. The artist, a descendant of light (the sun), draws images of and with the body, through the photographic medium, variations of light-images.
Circumference of the Sun is one of three exhibitions by Japanese and Japanese American artists created in response to More Things Japanese.
Upcoming Events
Multiple DatesFri, Nov 21ChicagoJoin us for an evening with Japanese American artist Kioto Aoki, whose pop-up exhibition Circumference of the Sun responds to HMAA’s main exhibition More Things Japanese. Aoki will discuss her practice exploring perception, temporality, intersections of Japanese and American cultural identity
Sat, Nov 22本次讲座采用 Zoom 平台。开课前我们会将会议链接发送至学员注册邮箱，请及时查收。讲师万珺老师毕业於北大地质系岩石矿物专业。在担任嘉德国际拍卖有限公司珠宝部总监职务期间，她创办了国内第一场珠宝翡翠专场拍卖。在那之后，她建立了中国大陆首家专业翡翠俱乐部，长年举办翡翠讲座、课程，并在中央电视台《鉴宝》节目出任鉴定专家。目前，她在芝加哥艺术博物馆（Art Institute of Chicago ）担任古玉研究客座顾问一职。
Sat, Dec 13ChicagoLearn the art of Kintsugi with artifact restoration expert Mami Takahashi.
Sun, Dec 14ChicagoJoin us for a Suminagashi workshop to explore the art of “floating ink,” guiding pigments across water to form delicate patterns. Lay your paper onto the surface and lift a one-of-a-kind design of your own creation!
Sat, Jan 10ChicagoChatGPT said: Ring in the New Year with the Heritage Museum of Asian Art! Enjoy Japanese whiskey and sake tastings, live calligraphy by Hekiun Oda, koto music, mochi and O-zoni, and a fun Fukubukuro (fortune bag) exchange game. Celebrate renewal, flavor, and good fortune—Japanese style!
Sat, Nov 15ChicagoTo celebrate the opening of More Things Japanese, the Heritage Museum of Asian Art invites community members to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
Fri, Nov 14ChicagoJoin us for an exclusive preview of More Things Japanese, featuring Japanese art and artifacts from ancient Haniwa to the 20th century. Guests will enjoy Japanese whiskey, curated bites, and a live koto performance by Toki, a proud member of the head family of the renowned Ikuta Koto School.
Sat, Oct 25Chicago本课将带领大家走进中国史前文明的重要阶段，聚焦大汶口、龙山与石峁三大文化。通过代表性玉器的形制、纹饰与工艺，探讨玉器在礼仪、信仰与社会结构中的作用，揭示早期中华文明在不同区域的交流与发展脉络。
Sun, Oct 19ChicagoObangsaek is the traditional Korean color spectrum consisting of blue (or green), red, yellow, white, and black. These five cardinal colors symbolize protection, fortune, prosperity, and harmony.
Multiple DatesSun, Oct 19ChicagoJoin interdisciplinary artist Sabba S. Elahi for a collective embroidery experience that blends artmaking, memorializing, and community reflection. No prior experience is required, and all materials will be provided.
Sat, Oct 18ChicagoTry out this a centuries-old indigenous art form that weaves together memory, identity, and resistance.
Sat, Oct 11Chicagohands-on workshop exploring the art of kimono dressing through the lens of seasonality and traditional accessories. All are welcomed.
Sat, Oct 04ChicagoDiscover the traditional Japanese art of Gyotaku (魚拓 — fish printing), an age-old technique of creating detailed ink impressions from real fish. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore its history, learn the step-by-step process, and make your own stunning prints to take home.
Sun, Sep 28ChicagoJoin us for the opening of Gyotaku Impressions of the Sea, an exhibition showcasing the work of Gyotaku Master Dwight Hwang, renowned for preserving the authenticity and artistry of this traditional Japanese practice.
Sat, Sep 27ChicagoDiscover the fundamentals of artifact restoration, exploring the techniques, tools, and principles used to preserve cultural heritage. This introduction provides insight into how experts restore and protect objects, ensuring their stories endure for generations.
Sat, Sep 20Chicagolearn the overall history of jade art. study real works from the museum’s collection. see actual jade stones up close. discover the process of jade carving.
Sat, Aug 30ChicagoJoin artist Hai-Wen Lin for a hands-on origami workshop that blends traditional Japanese folding techniques with contemporary creativity, exploring the cultural significance of cranes, butterflies, and kusudamas—no experience necessary, all materials provided.- Sat, Aug 16ChicagoLearn the art of Kintsugi with artifact restoration expert Mami Takahashi.