Naoya Hatakeyama on Japanese Photography and Exoticism
In a letter addressed to Philippe Forest, Naoya Hatakeyama, who was born in 1958 in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, contemplates the essence of "Japanese photography." After pursuing design studies, he transitioned into photography, earning accolades such as the Kimura Ihei Prize, Higashikawa Grand Prize, and Mainichi Prize. He exhibited Swiss landscapes at the Museum of Modern Art in Salzburg as part of a cultural exchange. During his time in Paris, he attended ParisPhoto, which showcased 130 Japanese photographers, and was particularly taken by "Tokyo Stories." He reflects on the significance of observational images and the evolution of "Japanese photography," rooted in his 1980s education. He mentions that the term "shashin" predates photography and may persist through technological advancements. This letter is dated Tokyo, December 20, 2008, and translated by Corinne Quentin.
Key facts
- Naoya Hatakeyama was born in 1958 in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
- He won the Kimura Ihei Prize, Higashikawa Grand Prize, and Mainichi Prize.
- His Swiss landscape exhibition was at the Museum of Modern Art in Salzburg, part of a cultural exchange between Switzerland and Japan.
- ParisPhoto featured Japan as the guest country with 130 Japanese photographers.
- The 'Tokyo Stories' exhibition at a Champs-Élysées gallery showed pre- and post-WWII Tokyo by three Japanese photographers.
- Hatakeyama questions whether Western interest in 'Japanese photography' is a form of intellectually justified exoticism.
- The Japanese word for photography, 'shashin', means 'reproduce the real' and dates to 8th-century Chinese poetry.
- The letter was written on December 20, 2008, in Tokyo.
- Michaël Ferrier, professor at Chuo University, introduced the article.
- The article was published in artpress in February 2009.
Entities
Artists
- Naoya Hatakeyama
- Philippe Forest
- Michaël Ferrier
- Corinne Quentin
- Hokusai
- Du Fu
- Niepce
- Daguerre
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art Salzburg
- ParisPhoto
- Chuo University
- artpress
Locations
- Iwate Prefecture
- Japan
- Tokyo
- Salzburg
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Paris
- France
- Champs-Élysées
- Ebisu
- Kuramaé
Sources
- artpress —