Latest Instant Film Works Also on Display

The Buddhist scripture "Heart Sutra" is an essence of the "Great Prajnaparamita Sutra," comprising 600 volumes, translated by the monk Xuanzang (Genjō), who wrote "The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions," the basis for "Journey to the West." It is summarized into about 260 characters and widely disseminated as the core of Mahayana Buddhism. "Prajna" means wisdom, and "Paramita" means "to attain enlightenment." It teaches that all that exists in this world is "nothingness" and that the ultimate truth lies in "emptiness."

This exhibition, "Inshū," by Nobuyoshi Araki, takes the Heart Sutra as its motif. Following "Inka" (2015) and "Intō" (2016), this exhibition presents a powerful debut of photographs printed on Japanese paper, inscribed with the calligraphy "Hannya Shingyō."


Araki's calligraphy is highly regarded even in China, and he has been active both domestically and internationally, with solo exhibitions at the Guimet Museum in Paris and title calligraphy for NHK special programs.

Araki has long been inspired by the works of predecessors such as Lafcadio Hearn, Santōka Taneda, and Hokusai, as well as classical texts like "Ōjōyōshū," "Man'yōshū," and "Ryōjin Hishō," creating numerous works that reflect his own state of mind.

Furthermore, this exhibition also features his latest works, created by cutting and directly joining two instant film pieces. These are precious works born from the artist's meticulous manual labor, following his collage series "Kekkai" (2014) and "Hangeisei" (2015).

Nobuyoshi Araki "Inshū - Hannya Shingyō Ii"
Exhibition Dates | Until November 11, 2016
Closed | Mondays and Tuesdays
Hours | 13:00 - 19:00
Venue | Art Space AM
Jingu Heights 302, 6-33-14 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo