Ken Yoshida

Ken Yoshida is an Associate Professor of Art History/Visual Studies at the University of California, Merced, affiliated with the Global Arts Studies Program under the School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts. He earned his Ph.D. in Visual Studies from UC Irvine in 2011. His research critically examines postwar Japanese avant-garde art’s engagement with materiality, humanism critique, and ecological politics, alongside 20th-century intellectual history and design culture. Current projects include a book manuscript on 'Between Matter and Ecology: Art in Postwar Japan and the Question of Totality' and research on macrobiotics’ cultural impact on design and lifestyle in Japan.

Yoshida’s work bridges posthumanist theory with art historical analysis, emphasizing transmedia practices and interdisciplinary discourse. His published scholarship includes translations for MoMA’s 'Primary Documents: Japanese Art Criticism 1945-1989' and articles on Hanada Kiyoteru’s transmedia theories. Teaching focuses on visual culture, postmodern art, and film theory.