Japan / A Love Story celebrates half a century of work by the famous Anglo-American photographer Michael Kenna and its enduring relationship with Japan. His extensive explorations and images of Japan since 1987 constitute perhaps his most distinguished and best-known works.
An exceptional exhibition consisting of around a hundred prints, all personally printed by Michael Kenna, including both his oldest and most recent images taken in Japan. The exhibition comes to London in September, following its launch in Tokyo and its US debut in Los Angeles in 2024.
Michael Kenna’s mysterious photographs, often taken at dawn or during the dark hours of the night, focus primarily on the interaction between the natural landscape and man-made structures. Kenna is both a day and night photographer, fascinated by the times of day when the light is most flexible. With long exposures, which can last all night, his photographs often record details that the human eye is not capable of perceiving.
Kenna is particularly known for the intimate scale of his photographs and his personal, meticulous printing style. He works in the traditional film photographic medium, not digital. His superbly hand-made black and white prints reflect a feeling of refinement, respect for history and total originality.
“During my first visit to Japan, I was blown away by the aesthetics, the spiritual and religious aspects, the curiosity of the people, their friendliness and their generosity. Later I went to northern Hokkaido in the middle of winter and it seemed to me to be a stark sumi-e ink painting, a white canvas with Kanji characters. I’ve been in love with this place ever since.” —Michael Kenna
Michael Kenna : Japan / A Love Story
September 25 – October 20, 2024
Asia House
63 New Cavendish Street
Londres WIG7LP
www.peterfetterman/japanalovestory
