Japonésia - Naoki Ishikawa

Japan House São Paulo presents, from October 20 to January 10, 2021, the exhibition “Japonesia,” by young photographer Naoki Ishikawa, who is considered one of the most relevant artists in the current Japanese photography scene. Created especially for the institution, the exhibition, for which admission is free and which is coming to Latin America for the first time, aims to reveal the particularities of the Japanese archipelago, highlighting its diversity in landscapes and culture, taking visitors on a true expedition through an unknown Japan.

In the digital era, Naoki is known for photographing Japanese landscapes in an analog manner, bringing a unique look to the interaction between nature and human presence and its cultural traits in these places. Ishikawa has an extensive artistic background, having held successful exhibitions throughout Asia and the United States, in addition to collecting awards such as from The Photographic Society of Japan, in the Lifetime Achievement Awards category, consolidating his career.

In “Japonesia,” installed on the second floor of Japan House São Paulo, 74 meticulously selected photographs that are part of different series made by Ishikawa from 2009 to 2018, are revealed in different dimensions, composing a set that gathers images of more than 20 islands in the archipelago. “Naoki Ishikawa’s work reinforces Japan’s strong connection with the sea, highlighting the diversity of each region’s particular natural landscapes. It is a beautiful work done by a 21st century artist that allows us to take part in his discoveries. We are very pleased to be able to feature him for the first time in Latin America,” says Japan House São Paulo’s Cultural Director Natasha Barzaghi Geenen.

Naoki Ishikawa features the sea, inseparable from the representation of Japan, as an element of great importance among his works and, in “Japonesia,” it appears either as a highlight or as a backdrop for so many other representations, in a way to portray the essence of Japan. Another essential element of this expedition, Mount Fuji is also featured prominently among the works, in photographs that result from a climb that the artist made in 2009, bringing his delicate look to this important icon.

Ishikawa creates projects that deal with risk and require a lot of physical and mental effort. He researches the different locations thoroughly before going to them and walking through the geographies to record the landscapes artistically, allowing the viewer to enter the photograph and creating a sense of immersion in Japanese lands. The work selected for this exhibition is the outcome of the artist’s explorations, trips, climbs, and adventures and explore nature, emphasizing scenes and highlighting both man in movement and urban elements.

In Japan, the photographs were printed directly from the negatives onto the paper, without being digitized, which further emphasizes the colors of the images. The expography also includes audios recorded from texts written by the artist himself, bringing the audience closer to the process and production of Naoki Ishikawa, who brings an affective and geographical dimension to each of the sets of photographs being exhibited.

The term “Japonesia” was created and conceptualized by the Japanese writer Toshio Shimao to emphasize that Japan is an archipelago.

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Japonesia - Naoki Ishikawa
October 20, 2020 to January 10, 2021
Second floor

Japan House São Paulo  - Avenida Paulista, 52
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm
Free admission
Early booking (optional): https://agendamento.japanhousesp.com.br/