Ron Mueck’s hyperreal sculptures are now on show at Mori Art Museum Tokyo

Australian sculptor Ron Mueck brings his haunting, human-scale-shifting works to Tokyo, including the monumental skull installation Mass.

Written by Japan Index | Thursday 14 May 2026

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There is something unforgettable about standing in front of a Ron Mueck sculpture. The Australian-born, UK-based artist is known for hyperreal human figures that feel startlingly lifelike, but never quite ordinary. His work plays with scale, emotion and the body, turning quiet human moments into something strange, intimate and monumental. Mori Art Museum describes his sculptures as works that explore loneliness, vulnerability, anxiety and resilience through close observation and philosophical reflection.

Now open at Mori Art Museum in Roppongi, Ron Mueck marks the artist’s second solo exhibition in Japan, following his 2008 retrospective at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. The Tokyo exhibition brings together 11 works, ranging from early pieces to recent creations, with six works making their Japan debut. One major highlight is Mass (2016–2017), a large-scale installation of oversized skulls that has become one of Mueck’s most striking recent works.

The exhibition also includes the early masterpiece Angel (1997), plus photographs and films by French photographer and filmmaker Gautier Deblonde that document Mueck’s studio practice. For visitors who like contemporary art that feels cinematic, emotional and slightly unsettling, this is one of Tokyo’s standout museum shows of 2026.

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Event details

Event: Ron Mueck

Dates: Wednesday April 29 – Wednesday September 23 2026

Venue: Mori Art Museum, 53F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower

Address: Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Hours: 10am–10pm; Tuesdays 10am–5pm. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. The museum is open until 10pm on Tuesday May 5, August 11 and September 22.

Tickets

Weekday tickets are

¥2,300 for adults, or ¥2,100 online.

Weekend and holiday tickets are ¥2,500 for adults, or ¥2,300 online.

University and high school student tickets are discounted, and children of junior high school age and under can enter for free.

Advance booking is recommended, though same-day tickets may be available if time slots have not sold out.

Access

Mori Art Museum is inside Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. The closest station is

Roppongi Station, with direct access from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Exit 1C. The museum is also around six minutes from Toei Oedo Line Roppongi Station Exit 3.

Useful links

Official exhibition page: Mori Art Museum – Ron Mueck

Tickets: 

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Access: Roppongi Hills Museum & Observatory access page

Extras: The exhibition catalogue is available in Japanese and English, and an AI audio guide is offered for ¥500 through the artlas app.

For anyone planning a Tokyo art day, pair this with lunch or coffee in Roppongi Hills and leave time to explore the museum shop afterwards. Ron Mueck’s work is best experienced slowly — the longer you look, the stranger and more human it becomes.