RAT HOLE GALLERY | Osamu Wataya's New Exhibition "Juvenile"

RAT HOLE GALLERY

Osamu Wataya: "Juvenile"

From July 23 (Fri) to August 25 (Wed), RAT HOLE GALLERY will host "Juvenile," a solo exhibition of new works by Osamu Wataya. The exhibition will feature approximately 30 color photographs taken over several years, capturing teenagers Wataya encountered by chance during a 4,000 km journey through Ukraine in the summer.

Text by OPENERS

"Juvenile": The Fleeting Radiance of Transitioning from Child to Adult

In "Juvenile," his latest exhibition following the 2010 photo book "CHILDHOOD," Osamu Wataya captures the complex expressions of boys and girls in the brief period between childhood and adulthood. The children, innocently playing by the river while eagerly awaiting adulthood, exhibit not only the unique behaviors of adolescence—such as innocence and exuberance—but also an awareness of being observed by adults. Whether fooling around and laughing with friends or gazing directly at the viewer with a melancholic look, their eyes hold a youthful radiance filled with anticipation for the future, just before full maturity, alongside a fear of being disillusioned by the adult world.

Wataya portrays these "juveniles," living in the time between childhood and adulthood, as an observer from the "outside," sometimes with humor and sometimes with melancholy. Wataya, who felt he "unconditionally liked" them upon meeting them, harbored not a longing for the era they lived in, nor a recollection of his own youth, but rather a profound reverence for their very existence. Their earnest play by the river might seem like a mirage in a distant land. Yet, their clear gaze reminds us that they are, in fact, intimately connected to us, the author and the viewer alike.

In his photo book "CHILDHOOD," released prior to this exhibition, Wataya vividly re-edited and arranged past works. He continues to work proactively, constantly changing his methods and subjects, as seen in his recent works "Capability" (from "CHILDHOOD") and "Drowning in flame" (2010, photographers’ gallery). Let's seek out that ephemeral radiance before the short summer ends at Osamu Wataya's "Juvenile" exhibition at RAT HOLE GALLERY, his first in three years since "Rumor/Pond" in 2007.

Osamu Wataya Photo Exhibition "Juvenile"
Gallery Hours | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Closed Mondays)

To coincide with the exhibition, RAT HOLE GALLERY will release the photo book "Juvenile." This 126-page volume features new works by Osamu Wataya alongside text by photography critic Shino Kurita. Hold the bittersweetness of adolescence, which you'll want to revisit again and again, in your hands.

Osamu Wataya Photo Book "Juvenile"
Release Date | July 23 (Fri)
Price | ¥4,200
Publisher | RAT HOLE GALLERY

Osamu Wataya
Born in Hokkaido in 1963, lives in Tokyo. Since 1989, he has directed numerous photo books for Hysteric Glamour and RAT HOLE GALLERY as an art director. In 2006, he received the 22nd Higashikawa Prize Special Award. Major solo exhibitions include "Rumor/pond" (08/ RAT HOLE GALLERY). Major photo books include "River Bed" (96/Hysteric Glamour), "Engaru" (96/Taka Ishii Gallery), "Renoir" (98/Hysteric Glamour), "Yugao" (04/Sokyu-sha), "Rumor" (07/RAT HOLE), and "CHILDHOOD" (10/RAT HOLE GALLERY).