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Lea Embeli "Venus is the Hottest Planet"
Shimokitazawa Arts
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Artists
Lea Embeli
Shimokitazawa Arts is pleased to present the solo exhibition Venus is the Hottest Planet by Serbian artist Lea Embeli.
Born in 1994 in Pančevo, Serbia, Embeli graduated from the Department of Applied Painting at the Faculty of Applied Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade in 2017, and completed her master’s degree in 2018. In 2021, she came to Japan as a research student at the Department of Oil Painting, Tokyo University of the Arts, with a scholarship from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). She completed her MFA at Tokyo University of the Arts in March 2025. Embeli is currently active as an artist based between Serbia and Japan.
In her practice, Embeli explores new visual representations of femininity. The figure of Venus—as an archetype of womanhood—has continuously evolved throughout history, reflecting the values of each era, from the Venus of Willendorf , Jomon-period figurines and beyond. To capture what femininity means today, Embeli turns to artificial intelligence as an essential tool.
By repeatedly feeding AI with symbolic images of women, it draws out outputs that absorb contemporary ideals—images shaped by unconscious desires and cultural stereotypes. Based on these AI-generated visuals, her paintings often feature vivid pinks, a color traditionally associated with femininity, lending her work a striking and glamorous appearance. Yet beneath the surface, there is an undeniable sense of discomfort.
The standardized Venus figures produced by AI serve as a direct visualization of the ongoing issues surrounding the representation of the female body. Still, Embeli continues to explore whether these AI images could act as proxies—tools to help women escape the objectifying gaze and imagine new ways of living confidently and authentically in their own bodies.
Born in 1994 in Pančevo, Serbia, Embeli graduated from the Department of Applied Painting at the Faculty of Applied Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade in 2017, and completed her master’s degree in 2018. In 2021, she came to Japan as a research student at the Department of Oil Painting, Tokyo University of the Arts, with a scholarship from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). She completed her MFA at Tokyo University of the Arts in March 2025. Embeli is currently active as an artist based between Serbia and Japan.
In her practice, Embeli explores new visual representations of femininity. The figure of Venus—as an archetype of womanhood—has continuously evolved throughout history, reflecting the values of each era, from the Venus of Willendorf , Jomon-period figurines and beyond. To capture what femininity means today, Embeli turns to artificial intelligence as an essential tool.
By repeatedly feeding AI with symbolic images of women, it draws out outputs that absorb contemporary ideals—images shaped by unconscious desires and cultural stereotypes. Based on these AI-generated visuals, her paintings often feature vivid pinks, a color traditionally associated with femininity, lending her work a striking and glamorous appearance. Yet beneath the surface, there is an undeniable sense of discomfort.
The standardized Venus figures produced by AI serve as a direct visualization of the ongoing issues surrounding the representation of the female body. Still, Embeli continues to explore whether these AI images could act as proxies—tools to help women escape the objectifying gaze and imagine new ways of living confidently and authentically in their own bodies.
Schedule | Aug 22 (Fri) 2025-Sep 7 (Sun) 2025 Opening Hours Information
Opening Reception Aug 22 (Fri) 2025 17:00 - 19:00 | ||||
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | https://shimokitazawaarts.tokyo/en/leaembeli_venusisthehottestplanet_en/ | ||||
| Venue | Shimokitazawa Arts https://shimokitazawaarts.tokyo/en/home-english/ | ||||
| Location | 1F, 1-40-9 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155-0031 | ||||
| Access | 4 minute walk from the East exit of Shimokitazawa Station on the Odakyu Odawara or Keio Inokashira line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-6804-7636 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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