Shigeko Kubota

Who is Shigeko Kubota?

Shigeko Kubota is a Japanese-born video artist, sculptor and avant-garde performance artist, who lives and works in New York City. Shigeko Kubota’s career was most prominent in the 1960s and 1970s when the Sony Portapak was just beginning to gain popularity among artist and activist circles. Kubota is known for constructing sculptural installations with a strong DIY aesthetic, which include sculptures with embedded monitors playing her original videos. She was a key member and influence on Fluxus, the international group of avant-garde artists centered around George Maciunas, having been involved with the group since witnessing John Cage perform in Tokyo in 1962 and subsequently moving to New York in 1964. She was closely associated with George Brecht, Jackson Mac Low, John Cage, Joe Jones, Nam June Paik, and Ay-O, other members of Fluxus. Kubota was deemed "Vice Chairman" of the Fluxus Organization in 1964, a somewhat superfluous title given by Brecht.