Mari Ito
1980, Tokyo, Japan.
In her work, Mari Ito explores the theme of ‘desire’. She has, in fact, always been drawn to the Freudian theory of the human psyche and the three entities cohabiting our psyche: TheId, the Ego and the Superego. Of these three, the artist reflects on the first —the Id, the most pure and primitive – as the source of our desires and their consequences.Contrary to Western culture, Japanese society frowns upon the outward expression of certain opinions and emotions, particularly in public spaces. This in turn heightens interest in her work, as Ito’s pieces transmit and communicate some of these thoughts and feelings, therefore alleviating the need for them to be said out loud. After all, words can be truly complex in Japanese society.
New Artwork
Mari Ito x Toni Mateu

Mari Ito
Mari Ito has lived in Barcelona since 2006, when she first made her mark on the international contemporary art scene, participating in both solo and group exhibitions, first in her country of origin and later in the Catalan capital and the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as in Basel, Istanbul and New York. Her latest notable exhibitions have taken place at Gaudi’s Casa Vicenç in Barcelona and at the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid. She has participated in art fairs in Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Miami, Tokyo, and most recently she has been a highlighted artist at the stand of the Fundación Amigos Museo Reina Sofía at ARCO Madrid (2023). The artist has also collaborated with brands such as Lilien Berg (2016), Bershka (2017), Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) at Universitat de Barcelona metro station (2017) and Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi (2018).