Featuring approximately 150 works categorized by 'angle,' 'focus,' 'handling of light,' and 'darkroom techniques.'

The Tokyo Photographic Art Museum annually holds special exhibitions with unique themes. This year, the museum's exhibition is centered around 'Aesthetics,' a term derived from 'Aesthetica,' a concept proposed by an 18th-century German philosopher, which entered modern Japan as 'esute' (esthetics).

Following the successful 'The Aesthetics of Photography: Five Elements,' which concluded on July 7, this exhibition, 'The Aesthetics of Photography: How Photographic Works Are Made,' takes center stage. Focusing on the creation of photographic works, this exhibition uses 'angle,' 'focus,' 'handling of light,' and 'darkroom techniques' as its guiding principles. Approximately 150 pieces have been carefully selected from the museum's collection of some 29,000 works for display.



'Beauties of the Showa Era' by Shotaro Akiyama captures actress Sayuri Yoshinaga with a soft focus, evoking a sense of mystery. 'The Model Asleep' (1929) by Man Ray, created through solarization—a technique where overexposure inverts the negative and positive, reportedly discovered by accident during darkroom work—produces a surreal atmosphere. The exhibition features works by photographers from both Japan and abroad.

'The Aesthetics of Photography: How Photographic Works Are Made' is filled with hints that we can immediately put into practice, such as how to determine the best angle. We hope you will discover new sensibilities through these photographs from across time and around the world.

'The Aesthetics of Photography: How Photographic Works Are Made'
Dates: Saturday, July 13 – Monday, September 16
*Closed on Mondays, except for Monday, July 15 and Monday, September 16, which are open. Closed on Tuesday, July 16.

Hours: 10:00 – 18:00
Venue: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, within Yebisu Garden Place
Tel. 03-3280-0099
Admission: General ¥500, Students ¥400, Junior High/High School Students & Seniors (65+) ¥250

Related Events


Floor Lecture

Schedule: 2:00 PM on the second and fourth Fridays during the exhibition period.
Content: Exhibition explanation by the curator.
How to Participate: Gather at the venue entrance with your exhibition ticket stub (valid on the same day).

Talk Session on the Exhibition
Schedule: Saturday, July 27, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM, Yoshio Iguchi (Curator, Japan Camera Museum)

Saturday, August 3, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM, Keizo Kitajima (Photographer)

Content: A talk session with the curator and guest curators or exhibiting artists on 'How Photographic Works Are Made.'
How to Participate: Gather at the venue entrance with your exhibition ticket stub (valid on the same day).

Solarization Workshop (Reservation Required)
Schedule: Saturday, August 17, 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday, August 18, 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Content: A workshop to experience creating prints using solarization, a special printing method where parts of the negative and positive are inverted.
*Details will be announced on the website as they are finalized.

*For details on each event, please refer to the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum website (www.syabi.com).