Kawada Kikuji and Iwane Ai Paired at Japan House London

Japan House London presents its first photography exhibition, 'Kawada Kikuji x Iwane Ai', running until 18 October 2026. Curated in conjunction with the Kyotographie photography festival, the show pairs two Japanese photographers separated by over half a century: nonagenarian Kikuji Kawada (b. 1933) and rising star Iwane Ai. Kawada, recipient of the Photographic Society of Japan's lifetime achievement award in 2011, is best known for his 1965 photobook 'Chizu (The Map)', which documents the aftermath of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. His works on display include 'Los Caprichos' (1968-1981) and 'The Last Cosmology' series, which references the 9/11 attacks. Iwane Ai gained acclaim with her 2019 debut monograph 'KIPUKA', which explores Japanese immigrant communities in Hawaii and the Fukushima Ondo bon dance. Her series 'A New River' (2020) captures deserted cherry blossoms during the Covid-19 pandemic, incorporating personal grief over her sister's suicide. The exhibition, directed by Simon Wright, explores themes of memory, loss, and preservation in the shadow of national catastrophes like Hiroshima and Fukushima. Kawada continues to photograph daily, posting on Instagram, while Iwane uses a panoramic Kodak Cirkut camera.