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Focusing on identity and social participation, Taro Furukata describes his artworks and experiences as “invisible transformations.” His installations examine complex theories surrounding political events and historical archives and highlight moments in history that deserve greater scrutiny. Furukata comments on the history of Japanese and US relations in The Perfect Hug (2018), which includes a photograph from local newspapers of US President Barack Obama hugging an A-bomb survivor. Furukata also explores Japanese culture through the performance of Japanese rituals, such as making the traditional plum wine his grandmother made in Hiroshima during his youth and using the wine to dye flags that hint at the country’s imperial past. Furukata was born in Okayama, Japan, in 1975, and received a BFA (1999) and MFA (2001) at Hiroshima City University. He currently lives and works in Hiroshima.