Yojiro Imasaka: "Returning Bayou"
We are proud to have worked on Yojiro Imasaka’s latest solo exhibition at Griffin Editions!
If you’re in Paris, be sure to not miss Imasaka’s "Returning Bayou," curated by Yukako Yamashita, before it closes this Sunday!
Exhibition open through Sunday, October 30
Opening hours: 11:00-19:00 daily (11:00-15:00 on 30th)
Venue: 16 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris
#silvergelatin #parisphoto
Behind-the-scenes working with Yojiro Imasaka in preparation for his current solo show in Paris.
PRESS RELEASE
from Seishodo Yamashita Co., Ltd.
Yojiro Imasaka First solo exhibition in Paris, France “Returning Bayou” “RETURNING BAYOU”
Yojiro Imasaka, a young artist based in New York, will hold his first solo exhibition “Returning Bayou” in Paris, France, curated by Yukako Yamashita on Monday, October 17th. It will be held until Sunday, October 30th.
Imasaka dives into nature around the world, observes changes in climate and scenery, and takes a long time to capture one-of-a-kind images. The theme is to create an image that inspires.
In this exhibition, in the spring of 2021, over a period of about six weeks, we plan to display works shot in a wetland called Bayou in the southern United States. Reminiscent of a forest, the breathtaking tranquility reflected in the slow-moving water paralyzes our sense of time.” In addition, all of the works to be exhibited were produced using the photographic technique used in the 19th century, the wet-plate photography/collodion process. By capturing organic and unique images, such as traces of chemicals, he compares the uncertainty and ephemerality of human memory to depict the natural flow of time that cannot be captured by digital cameras. In contrast to digital devices that store vast amounts of information, Imasaka asks about the importance of memories engraved in each person’s mind, even if they are ambiguous.
Yojiro Imasaka and Yukako Yamashita said the following about their first solo exhibition in Paris.
“All the works presented in this solo exhibition were shot in the swampy area called Bayou, which spreads around New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Also, the word Bayeux was originally named for the French immigrants who settled in Louisiana, who were called Acadians. The word comes from the Greek word Arcadis, which means Utopia. It means utopia, and it is very interesting to know the footprints of those who arrived at the new continent aiming for utopia. At the same time, I am delighted to be able to present this timeless landscape in Paris, France, and at the same time, in these landscapes that connect the past, present, and future, we, modern people who live busy lives, are beginning to forget the flow of eternity. I would appreciate it if you could feel it.”
(Yojiro Imasaka)
“Paris, which is now called the City of Light, is said to have once been shrouded in darkness. A 1mm-thin glass plate coated with chemicals was put into a large-format camera as film, and the image was captured on the glass. In Imasaka’s work, which captures the wild and majestic nature of the bayous with extremely delicate techniques, there is a beauty that is created by the coexistence of opposite elements. From the scenery of the area, all colors are deliberately erased, leaving only the elements of black and white, and you can feel the light from the group of works that have been scraped to the limit. are invisible, but Imasaka’s works give us the feeling that the light itself is full of colors.The darkness and light that exist in our hearts.Imagine the various colors. We hope that you will enjoy the time you spend discovering the future.”
(Yukako Yamashita)
Yojiro Imasaka Profile
Artist/Photographer. Born in Hiroshima in 1983. After graduating from Nihon University College of Art, moved to the United States in 2007. Obtained an MFA from the Pratt Institute in New York, and has exhibited works in solo and group exhibitions at Minneapolis Museum of Art, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Paris Photo, Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery, etc. His work is in the San Jose Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Meade Museum/Amherst College, Carnegie Museum of Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, and several private collections. Using a large-format film camera called “8×10”, he mainly creates works of natural scenery. While receiving high acclaim mainly in Europe and the United States, in February 2022, he will hold his first solo exhibition “Wet-Land” in Tokyo. Invited by FENDI for the “TSUNAGU – Omotesando Street Art Project” this summer, he is expanding his range of activities in Japan by exhibiting three previously unpublished works.
https://yojiroimasaka.com/
Yukako Yamashita Profile
Born in 1988 in a family that runs a tea utensil dealer in Kyoto. After graduating from Keio University, completed a master’s degree in art business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Established “THE CLUB” in 2017. In 2022, he became the program director of “Art Collaboration Kyoto”. He is a visiting professor at Kyoto University of the Arts. Also, from 2022, he will be appointed as Kyoto City Growth Strategy Promotion Advisor (in charge of revitalizing the art market).
Date: October 17 (Mon) – October 30 (Sun), 2022 11:00 – 19:00 (last day 15:00) Opening Reception October 17 (Mon) 17:00-19:00
Address: 16, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré 75008 Paris, France
