The volume brings together the works of 13 contemporary Japanese artists. The contemporary Japanese scene is remarkably complex, extremely varied, and even enticing. The fact that it is impossible to define one or more trends is extremely positive: there are so many different fields of research, all explored with equal intensity and with an originality that Western photography so often lacks. And this is another characteristic that makes Japanese images unique. The photographers are able to distance themselves from the weighty legacy of the masters and take up issues related to the changes underway in contemporary society, addressing them in limpid works that can be formally classic yet incisive, raw and essential. Maiko Haruki, Naoki Ishikawa, Tomoko Kikuchi, Toshiya Murakoshi, Yurie Nagashima, Sohei Nishino, Koji Onaka, Yuki Onodera, Chino Otsuka, Tomoko Sawada, Lieko Shiga, Risaku Suzuki, Ryoko Suzuki, and Chikako Yamashiro belong to a generation of artists who are proceeding in open order and still lack the appropriate support, but are aware of their skills. They are also able to appeal to people’s sensitivity across the board, especially that of the critics and Western public, who seem to have been dulled by redundant aestheticism for years.
Filippo Maggia, director of the Photography Foundation of Modena. Curator and editor. |
