This summer The Photographers’ Gallery presents a landmark exhibition, Japanese Women Photographers: From 1950s to Now.
Rewriting the story of Japanese photography through the eyes of women and showcasing the work of 27 groundbreaking artists from the 1950s to today, Japanese Women Photographers highlights the perspectives that have shaped how Japan sees itself – and how it is seen by the world.
27 Visionary Japanese Women Photographers
Spanning themes of gender and identity, pop culture, nature, fashion and music, motherhood and everyday life, the exhibition brings together internationally renowned Japanese women photographers alongside those who have long been overlooked. The result is a powerful rebalancing of a history too often told through a single, male-dominated lens.
From pioneering figures of the post-war era to some of today’s most daring and experimental voices, the exhibition takes over the whole gallery this summer with more than 200 photographs, videos, installations and rare photobooks. Japanese Women Photographers is a vivid, intimate and expansive portrait of Japan, revealing how women artists have challenged conventions, captured social change and redefined photography across generations.
The exhibition shows how women have long been part of photography – both behind and in front of the camera. These pioneering women ran studios, worked in darkrooms and took their own photographs.
Kawaguchiko, 2003; from the series half awake and half asleep in the water.
Courtesy Osiris, Tokyo, and Aperture
From documenting the changing roles of women in post-war Japan to sharing rarely-captured images from the frontlines of student protests, many of the featured photographers were innovators in their field.
In the late 1980s, when equal employment opportunity laws were passed, more Japanese women were able to pursue careers, including in photography. They elevated the everyday by capturing intimate moments of family life, motherhood and relationships. Many of the featured artists challenged traditional conventions of beauty and femininity by expressing their own experiences and perspectives on the world.
Japanese Women Photographers also celebrates a more experimental and daring approach to photography. By embracing collaborative projects, performance and sculpture, many of these artists reinforce the power of photography to provoke and surprise us.
bystander #014, 2016
Courtesy the artist and Aperture
Featured artists
HARA Mikiko, HIROMIX, ISHIKAWA Mao, ISHIUCHI Miyako, KATAYAMA Mari, KAWAUCHI Rinko, KOMATSU Hiroko
KON Michiko, NAGASHIMA Yurie, NARAHASHI Asako, NINAGAWA Mika, NISHIMURA Tamiko, NOGUCHI Rika
NOMURA Sakiko, OKABE Momo, OKANOUE Toshiko, ONODERA Yuki, SAWADA Tomoko, SHIGA Lieko
SUGIURA Kunié, TAWADA Yuki, TOKIWA Toyoko, TOMOKO Yoneda, USHIODA Tokuko
WATANABE Hitomi, YAMAZAWA Eiko and YANAGI Miwa.
Curated by Lesley A. Martin, Takeuchi Mariko and Pauline Vermare, the exhibition accompanies the publication I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers 1950s to Now (Aperture, 2024). It was organised by Aperture in collaboration with the Rencontres d’Arles, with support from Kering | Women In Motion, the Ishibashi Foundation, the Anne Levy Charitable Trust and the 1970 Japan World’s Exposition Memorial Fund. Additional support has been provided by Okan, The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. The London presentation also features additional curatorial collaboration from Taous Dahmani at The Photographers’ Gallery.
The Photographers’ Gallery
The Photographers’ Gallery explores how photography is connecting, captivating and radically changing our world today. The Gallery’s programme and spaces – from exhibitions, talks, workshops and digital platforms, to the galleries, shop and cafe – all explore the beauty, complexity and future of photography. Right outside the Gallery, the very best of contemporary photography is shown for free, day and night, in Soho Photography Quarter.
The Photographers' Gallery
Aperture
Aperture is a non-profit publisher that leads conversations around photography worldwide. From its base in New York, Aperture connects global audiences and supports artists through its acclaimed quarterly magazine, books, exhibitions, digital platforms, public programmes, limited-edition prints and awards. Established in 1952 to advance “creative thinking, significantly expressed in words and photographs,” Aperture champions photography’s vital role in nurturing curiosity and encouraging a more just, tolerant society. For more information, visit their website.
Visitor information – The Photographers’ Gallery
- Monday – Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday & Friday 10am – 8pm (Friday free from 5pm)
- Saturday 10am – 6pm
- Sunday & Bank Holidays 11am – 6pm
- Tickets: £12 / £9 concessions (members go free)
- Advance online booking: £10 / £7.50 concessions
