From YBA to YJA: Burberry's New Art Initiative with Emerging Japanese Artists

Burberry Announces New 'YJA' Program

Burberry is pleased to announce a new commission program, 'YJA' (Young Japan-based Artists), which showcases emerging artists based in Japan. This program reinterprets the spirit of the 'Young British Artists' (YBA), who sparked innovative creativity in the UK in the 1990s, from a contemporary perspective.

Collaboration with the 'Tate — YBA & BEYOND' Exhibition

Under this program, works by emerging Japanese artists Kenryou Gu and Yoko Daihara will be exhibited as a related program for the exhibition 'Tate — YBA & BEYOND: British Art,' to be held at the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art starting in June 2026.

Burberry has a history of supporting art and culture for over 100 years, both in the UK and abroad, consistently collaborating with cultural institutions and providing platforms for artists. This exhibition is being implemented in collaboration with Tate and the British Council, and through this initiative, Burberry supports the promotion of modern British art and culture in Japan. 'YJA' is an attempt to reconstruct the innovation and challenging spirit embodied by the YBA in a global context.

Artist Perspectives and Works

The works of Kenryou Gu and Yoko Daihara will be displayed in the entrance area of the Higashiyama Cube, the venue for the 'YBA & BEYOND' exhibition. Both artists focus on the natural world, exploring the relationship between humans and the environment—a perspective that resonates with Burberry's long-standing interest in the 'outdoors.'

Kenryou Gu stated: "The work depicts a forest as a dynamic system formed by climate and time. It is not a fixed landscape, but captures the moment when the relationship between nature and the environment becomes visible."

The creation of 'Young Japan-based Artists' utilizes textile manipulation and weaving techniques, which naturally connects to Burberry's textile-rooted traditions. Kenryou Gu's work uses a digital weaving technique that intersects the concepts of climate and time with the perception of landscape. Meanwhile, Yoko Daihara expresses outdoor elements non-linearly and tactilely through textiles and wool.

- Dates: June 3 – September 6, 2026 - Venue: Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art