Installation view of Chiharu Shiota: Threads of Life. Letters of Thanks (2026) Photo: Mark Blower. Courtesy of the Hayward Gallery. © DACS, London.
Chiharu Shiota’s exhibition at Hayward Gallery brings together large-scale installations that explore the body, memory, consciousness, and the fragility of existence. Through thread-based environments that envelop the space from floor to ceiling, the artist creates immersive settings that engage viewers both physically and emotionally.
Shiota is internationally known for her monumental web-like structures made of wool thread, within which she embeds everyday objects such as shoes, keys, beds, chairs, and dresses. These ordinary items are transformed into powerful symbols of collective memory and human connection. Drawing from personal experience, Shiota expands her narratives into universal themes of life, death, absence, and relationships.
The exhibition also features new large-scale sculptures, drawings, early performance videos, and photographs. Her signature thread installations interact with the iconic Brutalist architecture of Hayward Gallery, creating an atmospheric and cohesive presentation that responds directly to the building’s spatial character.
As part of the exhibition, visitors are invited to contribute to Shiota’s installation “Letters of Thanks.” Participants can write a letter expressing gratitude to anyone family members, friends, or even strangers who has touched their lives. These letters become part of a collective tapestry of shared human experience, echoing the emotional depth central to Shiota’s practice.
