Maika Kunimori
Born in Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Inspired by her family’s history in coal mining, Kunimori has been creating art and conducting research on coal mining since 2007. She graduated with a degree in Western Painting from Joshibi University of Art and Design, completed her Master’s degree in Mural Studies at Tokyo University of the Arts, and earned her Doctorate in Art and Heritage Design from Kyushu University’s Graduate School of Design.
Recent exhibitions include “Art Life Declaration—Because It’s Fun!” at Kyushu Geibunkan’s Chikugo Art Exchange 2017–2018, and “Stories of Black Diamonds” at Nogata Taniou Art Museum in 2021. She also published *Art and Coal Mining—The Evolution of Art Activities in Former Coal Mining Areas* (Kyushu University Press) in 2020, which won the 15th Art Documentation Society Award in 2021.
Kunimori’s paintings often depict coal miners and local residents, using materials such as coal and coal ash on components from the Matsubara coal mine housing in Chikuho. She also exhibits “Coal Dolls,” traditional black figurines created as local souvenirs of the Miike coal mine, with one new piece included in this exhibition.
As a researcher, Kunimori also studies the history of coal mining due to her family’s background in the industry. This exhibition is part of the ONE Ariake Art Festival 2024, and it is worth noting that the seabed of the Ariake Sea contains abundant coal deposits.
