Keiichiro Shibuya Composes Music for the Installation

Mika Ninagawa is renowned for her intensely colorful photographs, often referred to as "Ninagawa colors." Beyond her work as a photographer, she has recently expanded her creative endeavors to include directing films and music videos, as well as collaborating with fashion designers.

Since the beginning of her career as a photographer, she has released a photo book every year. To date, nearly 90 books have been published, and she has received numerous awards, including the Kimura Ihei Award, often called the "Akutagawa Prize of Photography." Now, approximately 150 of Ninagawa's previously unreleased works will be exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, a former residence.

This exhibition centers on self-portraits, a first for Ninagawa. Though intermittently captured since the early days of her debut as a photographer, these monochrome self-portraits, which have rarely been published, subdue Ninagawa's signature vibrant colors, revealing a raw, intimate side that delves into her inner world.

The exhibition also features works from "noir" (2010–), where she explores darker, shadowy aspects of life, and "PLANT A TREE" (2011), which captures the cherry blossoms falling onto the Meguro River. Upon entering the exhibition, visitors are greeted by a new installation with a three-screen video projection. For this installation, Keiichiro Shibuya has composed original music, with sound generation by evala.

While Ninagawa consistently captures the radiance of flowers to create positive and uplifting works, she has also persistently depicted the distortions, stagnation, shadows of decay, and hints of death that lie alongside glamour and happiness. Through her self-portraits and other works, it seems we can glimpse a new facet of her talent.