Born in Osaka, Japan, Yasumasa Morimura studied at the Kyoto City University of Arts. He gained international prominence in the late 1980s for his photographic series that challenged traditional notions of authorship and cultural identity by recreating famous art historical works with himself as the central subject.

Working primarily in photography, film, and performance, Morimura adopts elaborate costumes, makeup, and digital manipulation to inhabit personas that cross boundaries of gender, race, and nationality. His practice often critiques the Western gaze and explores the fluidity of identity through the lens of art history.

His work continues to be featured in major institutional surveys, where his reinterpretations are used to examine the enduring influence of historical figures and the evolution of global art narratives.