Johnnie Walker, a self-declared champion of the avant-garde, has made big strides through the Tokyo art scene. For many years Walker, through his foundation Za Moca, has made it his purpose to support artists in various ways, from monthly parties to celebrate artists exhibiting in Tokyo, through accommodation for visiting artists, to exhibition and performance space. The artists Za Moca promotes range from the very famous such as Gilbert and George and Yayoi Kusama, to brilliant but relatively unknown artists like Jack McLean and butoh performance group Salvanilla, both of whom have also performed at major international gatherings in Britain and America at Za Moca-sponsored events.
A banker by trade, Walker does it all for love and to continue his family's tradition as patrons of contemporary art. A seemingly endless source of information about Tokyo art happenings, he is a familiar sight at exhibition openings, making introductions and keeping the Tokyo art world accessible in a way that no other individual or organization can match.
Walker's heroic philanthropic efforts have recently been officially recognized by the Tate Gallery in London, which has appointed him project director of the Tate Tokyo Residency, the first such Tate project outside England.