Who is Yoko Ono? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Anthony Cox (m. 1963–1969), John Lennon (m. 1969–1980),, Toshi Ichiyanagi (m. 1956–1962), Anthony Cox (m. 1963–1969), John Lennon (m. 1969–1980), Toshi Ichiyanagi (m. 1956–1962)

father: Yeisuke Ono

mother: Isoko Ono

siblings: Keisuke Ono, Setsuko Ono

children: Julian Lennon, Kyoko Chan Cox, Sean Lennon

Born Country: Japan

Artists Japanese Women

Height: 5'2" (157 cm), 5'2" Females

Notable Alumni: Gakushuin University

Ancestry: Japanese American

City: Tokyo, Japan

More Facts

education: Sarah Lawrence College, Gakushuin University

Recommended For You

1

What is Yoko Ono known for in the art world?

Yoko Ono is known for her avant-garde and conceptual art, which often challenges traditional notions of art and encourages audience participation.
2

How did Yoko Ono influence John Lennon's music?

Yoko Ono's influence on John Lennon's music was significant, as she inspired him with her avant-garde ideas and perspectives, leading to the experimentation and evolution of their collaborative work.
3

What impact did Yoko Ono have on the feminist movement?

Yoko Ono's art and activism have made her a symbol of feminist empowerment, as she has often addressed issues of gender equality and challenged societal norms through her work.
4

What is Yoko Ono's connection to the peace movement?

Yoko Ono has been a vocal advocate for peace and has used her platform to promote unity and understanding among people, especially through her "Imagine Peace" initiatives and projects.
5

How has Yoko Ono's art influenced contemporary culture?

Yoko Ono's pioneering work in performance art, conceptual art, and activism has had a lasting impact on contemporary culture, inspiring artists and creators to think outside the box and challenge conventional boundaries.

Recommended Lists:

Japanese People

Sarah Lawrence College

Women Artists

Japanese Artists

Women Artists & Painters

Childhood & Early Life

Yoko Ono was born on February 18, 1933, in Tokyo, as the eldest of three children, in a wealthy banking family to Eisuke Ono and Isoko Yasuda Ono.

Her father was transferred to San Francisco two weeks before her birth and hence, was able to meet her only when the family shifted to the US in 1935.

The family returned back to Japan in 1937, where she secured admission in the Gakushuin School. In 1940, the family relocated to New York City and back to Hanoi next year, where she attended Keimei Gakuen primary school.

She went to Scarsdale, New York, in 1951 with her family and enrolled in Sarah Lawrence College, but left midway in 1956.

Continue Reading Below

Recommended Lists:

Japanese Artists & Painters

Aquarius Artists & Painters

Career

Her loft events held on Chamber Streets caught the attention of leading New York’s avant-garde artists, which won her an opportunity to work with leading musicians, like Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, George Maciunas and Nam June Paik.

She went to Tokyo to live with her parents after her first marriage failed, where she met American jazz musician and filmmaker Anthony Cox and returned to New York with her new family, to take up performance art.

She performed her first seminal act, ‘Cut Piece’ in Tokyo, which was well-received. She repeated her acts in Manhattan and London, in 1965 and 1966 respectively, which made her a sensation in the art world.

In 1966, she made an artistic ad film ‘Bottoms’ after 365 friends and volunteers agreed to get their naked buttocks photographed, as part of an experiment with performance art.

She met John Lennon at the preview of her art exhibition in London in 1966, with whom she collaborated on several musical and artistic projects.

The duo released their first album ‘Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins’ and an experimental piece ‘Revolution 9’ in ‘The White Album’. ‘Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions’ and ‘The Wedding Album’ followed soon after.

They formed their own band, Plastic Ono Band, in 1969 and launched their first album ‘Live Peace in Toronto 1969’. A year later, Ono recorded her first solo album ‘Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band’ which was listed at #182 on the US charts.

She released a double album ‘Fly’ in 1971, followed by a protest-song album ‘Sometime in New York City’ in 1972. The following year, she came up with two solo albums, ‘Feeling the Space’ and ‘Approximately Infinite Universe’.

Following the death of her husband Lennon, she released a soulful and grieving solo album ‘Season of Glass’ in 1981 and an optimistic album ‘It’s Alright (I See Rainbows)’ in 1982.

Continue Reading Below

She released a series of albums in the following years, such as ‘Every Man has a Woman’, ‘Milk and Honey’, and ‘Starpeace’, before switching back to visual and performance art.

She debuted at Off-Broadway with her musical ‘New York Rock’ in 1994. This was followed by the re-issue of her solo albums on CD by Rykodisc Records in 1997.

During the 2000s, she returned to music, recording various albums, like ‘Blueprint for a Sunrise’, ‘Walking on Thin Ice (Remixes)’, ‘Yes, I’m a Witch’, ‘Between My Head and the Sky’ and ‘Yokokimthurston’, which became top hits.

Her autobiography ‘Memories of John Lennon’ was released in 2005.

Major Works

Her ‘Cut Piece’ act at the Sogetsu Art Center, Tokyo, in 1964, where she invited the viewers to cut off pieces from her clothing using scissors, became a cult piece of conceptual and performance art.

A paradigm of her abstract art, the ‘Grapefruit’ book, released in 1964, illustrated numerous weird situations to be completed by the reader. Its sequel ‘Acorn’ was released in 2013.

While honeymooning in Amsterdam in 1969, she used her publicity for holding ‘Bed-Ins for Peace’ campaign as a public protest against the Vietnam War. Her extended campaign in Montreal resulted in the single ‘Give Peace a Chance’.

Awards & Achievements

In 1982, she received the Grammy Award for ‘Double Fantasy’ under the Album of the Year category, along with John Lennon and Jack Douglas.

Continue Reading Below

She was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws by Liverpool University in 2001 and an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Bard College in 2002.

In 2003, the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles presented her with the 5th MOCA Award to Distinguished Women in the Arts.

She received the lifetime achievement from the Japan Society of New York in 2005 and the Golden Lion Award from the Venice Biennale in 2009.

She released a remixed version of her song ‘Move on Fast’ in March 2011 which topped the US Billboard Dance Chart, making it her 8th number one single in the dance charts since 2000.

She received Austria’s highest award for applied art, Oskar Kokoschka Prize, in 2012.

In 2013, she became an honorary citizen of Reykjavik, Iceland, and was declared an honorary patron to Alder Hey Charity, London.

Personal Life & Legacy

She married Toshi Ichiyanagi in 1956. Sadly, the marriage was short-lived and the two separated in 1962, after which she was admitted in a mental hospital briefly for clinical depression.

She was released from the mental hospital by Anthony Cox, whom she married in June 1963. The couple had a daughter, Kyoko Chan Cox, in August 1963. This marriage too did not work and they divorced in 1969.

Continue Reading Below

Her third marriage to founder member of Beatles rock band, John Lennon, (in March 1969), saw a series of break-ups and patch-ups after he got involved with his personal assistant, May Pang.

The couple had a son, Sean Taro Ono Lennon, in October 1975. The relationship ended with Lennon’s murder in December 1980.

She was reported to having a romantic affair with Sam Havadtoy, a Hungarian dealer of antiques, which ended in 2001.

Her son, Sean, is a popular musician and composer, who recorded the album ‘Rising’ with her under his band Ima Rising, in 1995. In 2008, he formed another group ‘The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger’.

Facts About Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono is an accomplished artist known for her avant-garde and thought-provoking work in various mediums, including performance art, music, and film.

Yoko Ono is a passionate advocate for peace and social justice, using her platform to raise awareness and support various causes around the world.

Yoko Ono has a keen interest in spirituality and has incorporated elements of Zen Buddhism and other philosophies into her artistic practice.

Yoko Ono has a unique sense of style and fashion, often seen wearing bold and unconventional outfits that reflect her artistic sensibilities.

Yoko Ono has a strong bond with her family, including her son Sean Lennon, and has been a loving and supportive presence in their lives.

2001	Best Long Form Music Video	Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon's Imagine Album (2000)
1982	Album of the Year	Winner

Yoko Ono Biography

You wanted to know

What is Yoko Ono known for in the art world?

How did Yoko Ono influence John Lennon's music?

What impact did Yoko Ono have on the feminist movement?

What is Yoko Ono's connection to the peace movement?

How has Yoko Ono's art influenced contemporary culture?