Exhibition

December 2021 Exhibition: Women in Transition; 20 years ago in Afghanistan by Androniki Christodoulou
December 4 - January 7, 2022

I visited Afghanistan approximately 20 years ago, during the "War on Terror" following the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center. Most of the news from there was about the war, however I was asked to photograph a school in Herat funded by Greek government.

My first impression upon arrival in Kabul felt like I had traveled 200 years back in time. The city was still functioning despite having bombed out buildings standing next to ones that were open for business and streets bustling with an array of horse drawn carts and cars. Despite the conflict in the country, the Afghani people were doing their best to carry on with their daily lives. It was such a visual place to photograph with stoic bearded men with ready smiles and women in blue burqas, several of whom I found out wore makeup and in colorful dresses underneath.

November 2021 Exhibition: White Gift - The Present Moment by Lisa Vogt
November 6 - December 3, 2021

October 2021 Exhibition: Last Wanderers of the Himalayas by Masaru "Jumbo" Kadotani
October 4 - November 5, 2021

In the lush hills of western Nepal that intersect at the junction of harsh Himalayan mountains and wide North Indian plains, there is an ethnic group living a wandering life between edge of the wild nature and human habitation. They are called the Raute, “the kings of the forest”. Speaking Khamchi, their native language, they have chosen to live a nomadic life instead of settling in one location and farming. The Raute people are hunter-gatherers surviving on a diet of jungle monkeys and other wildlife as they traverse between the natural environment and the outskirts of civilization. The tribe exchanges wooden containers carved from trees for provisions from traders and village farmers.

September 2021 Exhibition: Tokyo 2020 Paralympics
September 4 - October 1, 2021

When the Games came to Tokyo in 1964, I was looking forward to seeing Abebe Bikila, the barefoot marathon champion. I was totally captivated when I saw a picture of him running barefoot at the Rome Olympics inside a photo magazine. Early in the morning on the day of the competition, I took a position at the corner by the entrance to the National Stadium. Abebe ran calmly like a great philosopher, and the Japanese marathon runner, Tsuburaya, ran behind him tilting his head. My eyes filled with tears as I pressed the shutter on my camera. That was my first Olympic experience.

June 2021 Exhibition: OYAKO Photo Matsuri
June 7 - July 2, 2021

photo by Laetitia Vancon

OYAKO (parents and children), a bond that touches everyone; transcending borders, cultures, and religion! The photos in this show were taken by twenty-six photographers working in documentary, fashion, music, editorial and fine art.

The pandemic has had a big impact on our lives and I’m looking for the day when we no longer need to worry about catching the virus or keeping a safe social distance from each other. There has been one positive result from the crisis however, it has forced us to slow down and take time to think about the things that are most important in our lives. At the top of the list are friends and relations, particularly the ones between parents and children. Hopefully, be learning to be grateful for what we have and not about what we don’t, we will show more concern about the environment, living together in harmony, and the world that we are leaving for future generations.

Photos in this exhibition were taken in Argentina, Brunei, Cuba, Cambodia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Myanmar, Scotland, Syria, Tibet, and United States

May 2021 Exhibition: 888zenya
Masanori Kamide Photo Exhibition
May 8 - June 4, 2021

On Christmas Eve 2020, the number of people newly infected with the coronavirus reached 888 for a single day. Going out to the downtown area, chatting at bars and on dance floors was no longer something that could be enjoyed freely.

The title 888 Zenya [The Night Before 888] has the meaning of a record of the bustling nature and energy of the streets that everyone loved before their lives were plunged into this new lifestyle.
A musician that had been a professional DJ at popular discos since the 80s and stood at the center of Tokyo's entertainment found himself in distress over the sight of Tokyo's night lights (albeit temporarily) disappearing at the time of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

He has changed from someone who created entertainment to someone who records events. This is the sight of a man who has now watched over Tokyo with love for 10 years; a man that has loved the towns and people of Tokyo for around 40 years. He has been able to grasp the miraculous and rare scenery of the city precisely because he has spent his time touring the streets of the night on his bicycle.

April 2021 Exhibition: Soliloquy of the Full Moon
Artwork by Kozo Chiba
April 3 - May 7, 2021

At this time, when people find it difficult to throw off the feelings of unease brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am very grateful to the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan for having been offered this opportunity to hold an exhibition.

As a result of the pandemic, I have held a virtual exhibition on the Internet in order to allow people to see my work, but although this experiment could be considered a success with regard to health safety, I cannot help but feel that it focused on data dissemination than art.

However,  as an artist I am excited at the thought of holding this exhibition in a real space,  allowing people to take the time to experience the warmth of my work in person as they travel through the world created in my pictures and enjoy the absurd worldview presented there.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my heartfelt gratitude to Bruce Osborn and his wife, Yoshiko, for making this exhibition possible, to Koike Keiko of KEPT, my father and mother for their unflagging support, and all my friends for their help.

Kozo Chiba