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.

Hopefully these photos will liven up the night streets and become a fuse for relighting the nightlife of a new age.

Profile
Born in Osaka, he was active as a DJ and musician for 30 years from the 1980s.

Taking the opportunity of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, he shifted his focus to becoming a photographer and now takes photos of a variety of scenery from street style to portrait, with a focus on people as the object of his photos.
He won the 2017 Ken Domon Cultural Award Encouragement Prize for his photo collection, Monochrome Blues, which gained popularity for its style that captures communities, such as the legendary Fussa discos and Kabukicho pole dancers, from the inside.

OFFICIAL SITE: https://www.masanorikamide.com/

Bruce Osborn / FCCJ Exhibition Chair