Sheila Hicks: Hatano and Bill, Linked Destinies

For her solo presentation at Shibunkaku (Tokyo, Japan), Sheila Hicks will present a selection of works that respond to the spirit of the space—its distinctive architecture, material palette, and atmosphere. The exhibition will include works ranging from the intimate scale of her framed Minimes to larger thread panels and a sculptural installation of boules, offering a compelling overview of the artist’s multifaceted practice.

Hicks has dedicated this exhibition to a deeply personal story of friendship within her own family. In the early 1950s, while studying at the university, her brother, Bill Hicks, formed a close bond with a Japanese student named Hatano. In the fraught post-war climate, few were willing to share a room with Hatano, but Bill chose to do so—an act of empathy that marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship. Over the years, their paths remained closely intertwined.

This presentation also reflects the enduring presence of Hicks’s work in Japan, where she has exhibited in both institutional and public settings. Her first major installation dates back to the 1990s at the Fuji Cultural Center, with the most recent, in 2018, located at the Tri-Seven building in Tokyo.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a new essay on Sheila Hicks by Kenjiro Okazaki, offering an in-depth perspective on the artist’s practice.

Shibunkaku Ginza
Ichibankan-Building
5-3-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

Tel: +81-3-3289-0001

November 1-15, 2025  *Closed on Sundays and public holidays
10am – 6pm