[Photo Report] Ron Mueck at the Mori Art Museum — His First Solo Show in Japan in 18 Years

In nearly 30 years since he began working as an artist, Ron Mueck has completed just 49 pieces. A sculptor of famously sparse output who spends months — sometimes years — carving a single figure, Mueck now gathers eleven of his signature works (six of them shown in Japan for the first time) in Roppongi. It is his first solo exhibition in Japan in 18 years, since the 2008 show at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. We walked the galleries.

A Touring Exhibition — Tokyo Only

After Paris (2023) → Milan (2023–24) → Seoul (2025), the show has finally reached Tokyo. Co-organized by the Mori Art Museum and the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Tokyo is its only stop in Japan. It runs Wednesday, April 29 – Wednesday, September 23, 2026, open every day of the exhibition period.

Mueck was born in Australia in 1958 and is based in the UK. After more than 20 years in film and advertising, he turned to sculpture. By making figures far larger — or far smaller — than life, his mastery of scale unsettles our sense of the body and of existence itself.

The Heart of the Show — Mass, One Hundred Skulls

A Japanese premiere. This installation of one hundred giant human skulls is reconfigured for every venue. At the Mori Art Museum it fills a site-specific space of roughly 300 m². Encountering “memento mori” at this scale is an experience hard to find anywhere else.

Caption: Ron Mueck, Mass, 2016–2017. Synthetic polymer paint on fiberglass, dimensions variable. Collection: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Felton Bequest, 2018. Installation view: “Ron Mueck,” Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2026

An Early Masterpiece — Angel (1997) *Japanese Premiere

The breakthrough that made his name: a winged man hunched over on a stool. Inspired by a painting by Tiepolo, it is an “un-angelic angel.”

Caption: Ron Mueck, Angel, 1997. Private collection. *Japanese premiere. Installation view: “Ron Mueck,” Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2026

In Bed (2005), 6.5 m Along Its Long Side

The head alone of a reclining woman measures 6 m 50 cm along its longest side. Overwhelming scale and an intimate gaze sunk deep in thought coexist in a single work.

Caption: Ron Mueck, In Bed, 2005. Mixed media, 162 × 650 × 395 cm. Collection: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain. Installation view: “Ron Mueck,” Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2026

Woman with Sticks (2009) *Japanese Premiere

A standing female figure clutching an outsized bundle of branches. The museum shop even offers a limited-edition stick pie modeled on these very branches.

Caption: Ron Mueck, Woman with Sticks, 2009. Collection: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain. *Japanese premiere. Installation view: “Ron Mueck,” Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2026

And More You Won’t Want to Miss

Ghost (1998/2014)

A gaunt girl resting her back against the wall — a figure over 2 m tall. This is an artist’s proof remade in 2014. Collection: Yageo Foundation Collection (Taiwan).

Caption: Ron Mueck, Ghost, 1998/2014. Mixed media, 202 × 65 × 99 cm. Collection: Yageo Foundation Collection (Taiwan)

Chicken / Man (2019)

Shown together with a film of the same title that follows its making. Collection: Christchurch Art Gallery (NZ).

Caption: Ron Mueck, Chicken / Man, 2019. Mixed media, 86 × 140 × 80 cm. Collection: Christchurch Art Gallery (New Zealand). Photo: Bur@rt

Mask II (2002)

A giant “mask” of a face, as if asleep — a presence at once quiet and visceral.

Caption: Ron Mueck, Mask II, 2002. Mixed media, 77 × 118 × 85 cm. Private collection. Photo: Bur@rt

Young Couple

Be sure to walk around to the back, where you’ll notice the man gripping the woman’s wrist. The artist offers no explanation whatsoever. Don’t pass by on the front view alone — circle the whole way around.

Caption: Ron Mueck, Young Couple. Installation view: “Ron Mueck,” Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2026

Behind the Scenes — Photographs and Films by Gautier Deblonde

A photo series and two films by a photographer who has documented Mueck’s working process for more than 25 years. They open a window onto his UK studio and creative process — a “rarely seen” behind-the-scenes.

Caption: Photographs and films by Gautier Deblonde. Installation view: “Ron Mueck,” Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2026

Viewing Tips

• Measure the scale with your own body. Put a person beside a work in your photo and the distortion comes through.
• Don’t settle for the front — go all the way around. Some works hide a story on their reverse.
• Get close to the skin and veins. This is where the sense of life truly resides.
• Photography is allowed. There’s also a “#ミュエク巡り” SNS campaign running in partnership with the Towada Art Center.

Exhibition Details

Text and photos: art on editorial team