Yuka Fujii's work is known to the public through the work of the recording artist David Sylvian. She has been working with him as an art director and has occasionally contributed her photographic work to his projects. She is also associated with his broad range of expanded activities including projects such as multimedia installations, documentary film and videos, and the staging (visual)for his world tours.

During her involvement with Opium (Arts) Ltd, (which she established together with Sylvian and his manager Richard Chadwick in 1982 ) she produced numerous exhibitions, introducing the most influential British based artists, photographers and designers, to the Japanese public. She also developed ideas with individual artists for work created within a Japanese context. These included, Angus McBean, Russell Mills, Ian Walton, Alastair Thain, Anton Corbijn, Leigh Bowery, Vaughan Oliver, Nigel Grierson, David Hiscock, Douglas Brothers, The New Renaiscance and Chris Nash.

Recognising the importance of their work she believed it was her role to introduce them to her home country. The exhibitions were all very successful. One in particular, a multimedia installation by David Sylvian and Russell Mills with Ian Walton entitled "EMBER GLANCE" at the warehouse at Tokyo Bay was a large scaleproject, and a major success. A beautiful limited edition catalogue with cd was released by Virgin UK documenting the installation.

Yuka's talent lies in her intuitive understanding of the artists and their work. She plays the role of catalyst, bringing positive insight to the projects and people with whom she's involved. She believes these projects should serve individuals and society in positive way and that no matter how difficult or complex the project may be it becomes possible to recognise in the result of the work a true purpose for oneself and ones activities.

After going freelance in 1992 she continued working in the same field. She realised Peter Gabriel's "ART FROM US " exhibition for the opening event at the Landmark Tower (the highest building in Japan) in Yokohama which incorporated Gabriel's music and film, and work by 11 contemporary artists, among them; Rebecca Horn, Yayoi Kusama & Andy Goldsworthy. In '94 another multimedia installation was realised, "REDEMPTION - approaching silence" by David Sylvian and Robert Fripp at the p3 gallery Tokyo situated in a beautiful modern Zen temple.

Although she studied design at school, photography and film are her enduring obsessions. She began taking photographs of British jazz musicians in the 70's out of her own interest in the subject matter, and continued developing her technique while working in the music business. Meeting up with Sylvian in early eighties was something of a turning point. On many levels he became the inspiration for, and the subject of, what she describes as "her life work". She is currently preparing a book of her past work for publication.

return to top of page