Junko Theresa Mikuriya

Dr Junko Theresa Mikuriya

Associate Professor in Photography
London School of Film, Media and Design
junkotheresa.mikuriya@uwl.ac.uk

Junko Theresa Mikuriya acquired her passion for photography at the age of ten when she began developing and printing her own work in the darkroom. Born in Hong Kong, she grew up in Taipei, where she attended the Taipei American School. She completed her BA (Hons) degree in French at University College London and a Maîtrise de Lettres Modernes at the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne. Theresa studied photography at SPEOS, the Paris Photographic Institute and completed her PhD on photography and magic at the Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths University of London. Theresa has extensive experience as a freelance photographer in the fashion and music industries, shooting album covers for artists such as Jackie Chan, Wallace Chung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Karen Mok. She has also shot fashion editorial for the Asian editions of Vogue, Marie-Claire, Elle, GQ, and FHM. 

Theresa’s research interests include early photographic technologies, photographic histories and theories, surrealism, esoteric studies, mysticism and Neoplatonism. She is the author of A History of Light: The Idea of Photography (Bloomsbury, 2016), a book that investigates the relation between photography, light and philosophy. The Polish translation of the book, Historia światła: Idea fotografii was published in 2018 by Universitas. Theresa is editor for the Universitas series 'Photography and Philosophy'. She is an Honorary Fellow of the School of Arts, University of Kent. 

  • Qualifications

    • BA (Hons) French (University College London, University of London)
    • Maîtrise de Lettres Modernes (University of Paris IV - Sorbonne)
    • PhD Cultural Studies (Goldsmiths University of London)
    • PGCHE (University of Kent) 

Teaching

Before joining UWL, I was lecturer in the History and Philosophy of Art Department at the University of Kent. I have also taught in the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong as visiting artist and lecturer. 

Research

  • Research and publications

    Books

    Mikuriya, Junko Theresa (2018) Historia światła: Idea fotografii. Kraków: Universitas. ISBN 8324231867. 

    Mikuriya, Junko Theresa (2016) A History of Light: The Idea of Photography. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 1474254175. 

    Lai, Linda and Mikuriya, Junko Theresa (2004) Crytoglyph: Dialogues in Many Tongues in the Hidden Crevices of an Open City. Funded by the Philippe Charriol Foundation Asia. ISBN 9889739119 

    Articles and book chapters 

    Henning, Michelle and Mikuriya, Junko Theresa (2021) 'Light sensitive material: an introduction'. photographies 14 (3), pp. 381-394. ISSN 1754-0763.  

    Mikuriya, Junko Theresa (2021) 'Becoming Plant: Roger Caillois' Fantastique naturel'. Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture 53 (3), pp. 100-111. ISSN 1756-9575. 

    Mikuriya, Junko Theresa (2019) 'Apparition, Aperture, Exposure: Revisiting Plato's Cave'. ACT: Art Critique of Taiwan 78, pp. 4-17. ISSN 1561-1493. (Commissioned article). 

    Mikuriya, Junko Theresa (2012) 'Paul Valéry: The Centenary of Photography'. In: Newall, Diana and Pooke, Grant, (eds.) 50 Key Texts in Art History. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 89-93. ISBN 9780415497701. 

    Edited special journal issue

    Henning, Michelle and Mikuriya, Junko Theresa (eds.) (2021) Light Sensitive Material. photographies 14 (3), Taylor & Francis. ISSN 1754-0763.  

    Selected solo and group exhibitions

    Year of the Tiger. Artwork commissioned by Creative People and Places Hounslow for the 'Wanderings' exhibition, Feltham Library. 14 September 2022 - 8 January 2023. Touring Hounslow's Libraries until May 2024. 

    'Leading Light: At the outer limits of Photography'. Group exhibition. Invited by Studio Three Gallery, University of Kent. 26 September - 12 November 2019. 

    'Solo Exhibition by Junko Theresa Mikuriya'. Invited by the Hong’s Foundation of Education and Culture of Taiwan. Meme Space, Taipei, Taiwan. 2 June - 29 August 2008. 

    'Push: The Quest for a Voice, In Search of a Body' with Linda Lai. An interactive digital media installation, Hong Kong Museum of Art. 20 November 2003 - 1 March 2004. Selected entry for the Hong Kong Arts Biennial 2003. 

  • Conferences

    Invited talks

    Guest of Honour at 'Exhibition, Collection and Other Photographic Practices' - A Roundtable Discussion on Historia światła: Idea fotografii (Polish translation of A History of Light: The Idea of Photography), Museum of Photography, Krakow, Poland, 7 January 2019.

    Keynote at The International Day of Light Symposium, 'From Photophania to Photagogia: A Journey in the History of Light', Chelsea College, University of the Arts London, 16 May 2018.

    Keynote at the Cities of Light: Paris Symposium, 'Three Entries in the History of Light', University of Paris V-Sorbonne, 4 May 2018.

    'Beautiful as the chance encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella: How to teach Surrealism through Photography', Urban Photography: Making, Researching, Teaching Symposium, The Photographers' Gallery, 13 November 2017.

    'On Thoughtography', Visual Noise: Wandering Artifacts and Aberrant Images Conference, Institute of Cultural Inquiry, Berlin, 17 June 2016.

  • Research degree supervision

    Second Supervisor

    Dominic O'Donoghue: The Haunting Persistence of the Witch: Figurations of Witchcraft and Historiography (second supervisor) 

    Steven Woodford: Ectomorphologies: Towards a Genealogy of Male Thinness in Western Culture (first supervisor) 

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