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Amidst the profound social change and political turmoil of post-war Japan, a bold generation of avant-garde artists and photographers emerged in the 1960s, forever transforming the global art landscape.

1960s Japan was a time of profound social change, political unrest and student protests. The turbulent times of the post-war era inspired an artistic explosion in Japan, with the emergence of a revolutionary scene of avant-garde artists who pioneered many disciplines: experimental and erotic photography, 'Angura' theatre and underground street performances, apocalyptic Butoh dance, surreal illustrations and seminal graphic design.

Japan Art Revolution is the first comprehensive overview of the post-war Japanese avant-garde artistic explosion to be published in English, combining first-hand accounts, critical analysis and creative insight on one of the most radical cultural movements of the 20th century.

Taking design cues from Japanese luminaries Yokoo Tadanori and Awazu Kiyoshi, Japan Art Revolution features over 600 captivating artworks, encompassing photographs, film stills, theatre posters and illustrations by visionary artists including Moriyama Daido, Hosoe Eikō, Araki Nobuyoshi, Ishiuchi Miyako, Tanaami Keiichi, Yokoo Tadanori, Hijikata Tatsumi, Ohno Kazuo, Terayama Shuji, Tenjo Sajiki, Kawada Kikuji, Neo-Dada Organizers, Hi-Red Center, Awazu Kiyoshi, Hanaga Mitsutoshi, Nakahira Takuma and Tanabe Santaro.

Drawing on extensive interviews with these iconic artists, this comprehensive publication offers readers a nuanced understanding of the thriving world of Japanese avant-garde art, complemented by insightful texts from esteemed experts, curators, academics and archivists.

Amélie Ravalec is a London-based Parisian film director, producer and colourist. She directed her first documentary, Paris/Berlin: 20 Years of Underground Techno (2012) at the age of sixteen. She went on to direct films on avant-garde, underground and experimental art and music – Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers (2025), Japan Visions (2026), Art & Mind (2019), Industrial Soundtrack for the Urban Decay (2015). Her films have been shown at cinemas, festivals, museums and cultural institutions across fifty countries, and acquired by TV networks including ARTE, Sky Arts UK and ORF Austria. Her first work of narrative fiction, Sumarsólstöður (2025), expands her exploration of underground and avant-garde culture in a new cinematic form, and won ten awards at international festivals.