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May 11, 2015
ART | Photography Exhibition by Yoshihiro Taki: 'Little Girl'
ART｜Paul Smith SPACE GALLERY
The 'Shōjo' Melts into the Islands, Becoming Nature Itself
Yoshihiro Tatsuki Photography Exhibition: 'Shōjo'
From Saturday, December 8th to Sunday, January 27th, 2013, Paul Smith SPACE GALLERY in Jingumae, Tokyo, will host 'Shōjo,' a photography exhibition by Yoshihiro Tatsuki.
Text by IWANAGA Morito (OPENERS)
The 'Shōjo' in Paul Smith, Photographed on Hachijojima
In mid-September, while the heat still lingered, Yoshihiro Tatsuki traveled to Hachijojima to photograph three girls in "Paul Smith Junior" clothing, and one girl in "Paul by Paul Smith" on an artificial island in Tokyo. The exhibition captures the delicate emotional states of these four 'Shōjo' and their 'keshiki'—a presence that seems to have merged with nature.
'Shōjo' refers to girls aged four to sixteen during the Ritsuryō system (ancient Japan's centralized political system). There is Sora, seven, and Suguri, six, and Momoka, four, who live on Hachijojima. And then there is Juna, thirteen, standing on an artificial island in Tokyo. In these four 'Shōjo,' we glimpse innocence and fleeting beauty. Perhaps these are memories of Tatsuki's own childhood.
The three young 'Shōjo' playing amidst the nature of Hachijojima sometimes utter precocious words, speaking their minds without reservation. On the other hand, Juna, the 'Shōjo' on the artificial island in Tokyo, occasionally reveals a surprisingly mature expression, hinting at the approaching end of her 'Shōjo' days. The mystery of their shifting souls, which can be said to be almost one with nature itself. The exhibition carefully captures the 'flower of youth' that only blooms in the 'Shōjo' years, rendering it in monochrome photographs.
Yoshihiro Tatsuki
Born in 1937 in Tokushima Prefecture. Graduated from the Department of Technology at Tokyo College of Photography in 1958 and joined Ad Center. Became a freelance photographer in 1969. Has published numerous works, particularly in female portraiture and snapshots. Active in advertising and publishing to the present day. Numerous exhibitions and photo collections.
Yoshihiro Tatsuki Photography Exhibition 'Shōjo'
Dates: Saturday, December 8, 2012 – Sunday, January 27, 2013
Hours: 12:00 – 20:00
Closed: Irregular Wednesdays (Closed daily in December)
Open until Saturday, December 29th before year-end / Reopens Thursday, January 3rd
Venue: Paul Smith SPACE GALLERY
3F, 5-46-14 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-5766-1788