Ota Fine Arts presents "It's Not Yours to Decide!", Yoshiko Shimada's first solo exhibition in 21 years. Since the late 1980s, Shimada has been working on the theme of women and war, and has long been at the vanguard of feminist art in Japan and abroad.

In this exhibition, Shimada will feature the Chu-pi-ren (Women's Union for Liberalization of Abortion and Legalization of the Pill), an organisation founded in 1972 to oppose the anti-abortion law and demand the lifting of the ban on the pill. The Chu-pi-ren, led by Misako Enoki, wore pink helmets with female symbols and engaged in radical and outrageous activities, which were widely covered by the media at the time, including weekly magazines and variety shows. Due to the way the Chu-pi-ren was portrayed in the media, the group is not at all appreciated even amongst feminists. Shimada, however, urges that the activities of the Chu-pi-ren, which clearly asserted women's "right to self-determination" regarding sexuality and reproduction, needs to be re-examined now.

Sexual and Reproductive Rights are human rights that allow women to decide for themselves. In Japan, however, the law requires spousal consent for abortion, even for unwanted pregnancies caused by domestic violence, and abortion surgeries are not covered by insurance. Women's health and human rights are still under the control of the state and its authorities.

Shimada likens the Chu-pi-ren to a prophet (Sybil), and attempts to revive the spirit of the Chu-pi-ren, who acted proactively to win rights from the paternalistic authorities. In this exhibition, we present photographic works, paintings, and video works that embody this determination. Rights are not something that someone hands you. And if someone tries to "grant" you the right concerning your own affairs, you should firmly declare: "It's Not Yours to Decide!"

Exhibition Period: 15 April – 10 June, 2023
https://www.otafinearts.com/exhibitions/287-it-s-not-yours-to-decide-yoshiko-shimada/