Studio Equis

Exhibition Venues

Artcurial, Paris

Kulturhuset, Stockholm

Selected Works

A selection of images from the exhibition are available here

View images

Tokyo Stories

6 March - 2 May 2010

With over one hundred rare prints, many of which have previously never been seen outside of Japan, Tokyo Stories reveals the multiple faces of Tokyo from the 1930s until the present day through the works of three of Japan’s leading photographers: Hiroshi Hamaya, Tadahiko Hayashi and Shigeichi Nagano.

Concept

Tokyo is a paradox, a city made rich by the clash of different eras, where the futuristic present thrives alongside the traditional past. This exhibition presents the multiple faces of Tokyo: student protests, political intrigues, the birth of ‘salarymen' and their endless workdays, geishas, prostitutes, street orphans, writers, artists, designers and fashionistas, ... all of these characters collide to create this city of layers and contrasts.

The exhibition includes 3 parts:

Hiroshi Hamaya: Tokyo in the 1930s
The first part of the exhibition will focus on Tokyo in the 1930s through the work of Hiroshi Hamaya. Born in Tokyo, Hamaya began photography in his teens, naturally turning his camera towards the city that surrounded him. He focused particularly on downtown Tokyo and the buzzing entertainment district of Ginza. His photographs of geisha girls, theatres, cafés and street life, capture the energy and spirit of the city in these vibrant years.

Tadahiko Hayashi: Tokyo after the war
The second section of the exhibition deals with Tokyo in the years following the war. Hayashi's images documented the events of the immediate aftermath of the war. While these photographs document the immense physical destruction of the Japanese capital they also capture a sense of optimism and of liberation after years of deprivation and of censorship. Taken from the series Kasutori Jidai (Days in the dregs) these photographs illustrate the hedonism and sense of exhilaration that grew from amongst the rubble.

Nagano: A new Tokyo
The final section of the exhibition presents the modern face of Tokyo, from the 1960s until the end of the century. Less than two decades after the end of the Pacific War, Tokyo had become the capital of an economic superpower and the city saw itself being radically transformed. More than any photographer, Nagano has captured the changing face of Tokyo over the past 50 years. His images are a fascinating collection of urban fragments that contain the essence of their time.

Curation
The exhibition is curated by Marc Feustel (Studio Equis).

Contents
The exhibition includes over 100 original vintage and early prints. In addition to these prints, it will include historic materials from the different periods treated within the exhibition including exhibition catalogues, books, and photographic magazines.

Portfolio
A limited edition portfolio of 9 Digigraphie® prints by Epson will be available during the exhibiton.

Details

Artcurial, Paris, 8-15 November 2008

Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 6 March - 2 May 2010