1060032 669 208 Piramide Building, 2F, 669 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 1060032 JAPAN +81(0)3 6804 1708 | info@zenfoto.jp | www.zenfoto.jp
Photography exhibition:
i am an ‘object’
Tokyo Rumando
Tamiko Nishimura, Emi Anrakuji, Hideka Tonomura, Tokyo Rumando, YiYi Wan, Ting Cheng
Dates: 2017 3 10 ( )~4 4 ( )
Organizing Coordinator Amanda Lo
Introduction
i am an ‘object’
Emi Anrakuji Tokyo Rumando object
object object
Zen Foto Gallery is pleased to present the photography exhibition i am an ‘object’ from March 10 to April 4
featuring works by Tamiko Nishimura , Emi Anrakuji, Hideka Tonomura , Tokyo Rumando , YiYi Wan and Ting Cheng . Taking
the concept ‘object’ as a key focal point, this exhibition investigates relationships between viewers and objects in
photography through the eyes of six artists with different sociocultural and biographical backgrounds.
2017 3 10 4 4 Tokyo
Rumando i am an ‘object’
object 6
object
1060032 669 208 Piramide Building, 2F, 669 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 1060032 JAPAN +81(0)3 6804 1708 | info@zenfoto.jp | www.zenfoto.jp
i am an ‘object’
Emi Anrakuji Tokyo Rumando object
object object
object object
object
(Subject) (Viewer)
object
object
Zen Foto Gallery is pleased to present the photography exhibition i am an ‘object’ from March 10 to April 4 featuring
works by Tamiko Nishimura , Emi Anrakuji, Hideka Tonomura , Tokyo Rumando , YiYi Wan and Ting Cheng . Taking the
concept ‘object’ as a key focal point, this exhibition investigates relationships between viewers and objects in photography
through the eyes of six artists with different sociocultural and biographical backgrounds.
The word “object” consists of a whole variety of meanings depending on its context. Generally, an “object” can be understood
as a “purpose” or “target” and also be widely referred to as anything that can be “recognized”, “imagined”, or “observed”; In
grammar it can be referred to as the “receiver” of an action as a noun while as a verb, the word expresses “disagreement”; In
the world of photography, an object can be referred to the “subject being photographed” or a “material thing”, which
reminds us of the object’s inseparable and interactive relationship with the subject or the viewer.
This exhibition features works of: artist photographing a subject with a subjective concept, artist observing the ‘self’ in the
process of selfexploration, artist portraying the impression of objects through observation, artist confronting with the reality
by capturing surrounding objects, artist being both the object and subject in photographs, artist composing the impression of
subject with material objects, and so forth. Through multiple ways of seeing, this exhibition attempts to explore the meaning
of “object” featured in each work, its relevant context, as well as how each “object” is perceived by the viewers.
2017 3 10 4 4 Tokyo Rumando
i am an ‘object’ object
6
object
object
object
object
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1060032 669 208 Piramide Building, 2F, 669 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 1060032 JAPAN +81(0)3 6804 1708 | info@zenfoto.jp | www.zenfoto.jp
(Tamiko Nishimura, b. 1948 ) kittenish... (1970)
Tamiko Nishimura (b. 1948, Tokyo) felt an unknown gaze upon her which gave her an urge to photograph her
female friend in a private room over a night in the series “kittenish ” (1970). According to the artist, it is not realistic
to abandon her identity as a woman when she photographs, but she also doesn't photograph consciously as a woman
she photographs only by following her gut feeling, as an individual regardless of gender identities.
1948
1970
Tamiko Nishimura kittenish… (1970) gelatin silver print on baryta paper.
p:10x12 inch. edition of 5. Kittenish#19 | Kittenish#38 | Kittenish#32
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1060032 669 208 Piramide Building, 2F, 669 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 1060032 JAPAN +81(0)3 6804 1708 | info@zenfoto.jp | www.zenfoto.jp
(Emi Anrakuji, b. 1963 )
Emi Anrakuji (b. 1963, Japan)’s photographs include many self portraits that show parts of her body in vignettes
with soft, natural light. Sometimes she also incorporates objects, handmade by the artist herself, that may be arousing
or associated with femininity in the portraits. To the artist, photography is the process of selfexploration, but “once
the works are published they no longer represent me (the artist) but the viewers themselves”.
1963
Emi Anrakuji Untitled… (2008)
cprint. p:33.6x43.5 cm i:29.6x39.5 cm. edition of 10.
Untitled#01 | Untitled#02 | Untitled#03
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1060032 669 208 Piramide Building, 2F, 669 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 1060032 JAPAN +81(0)3 6804 1708 | info@zenfoto.jp | www.zenfoto.jp
( ) (2003 2005
YiYi Wan (Taiwan) created the series “Repression? Release?” (20032005) with pinhole photography. She placed a
gaze upon and slowly depicted the female bodies with a pinhole camera, adding explanations about their
backgrounds and mindsets to the photographs. She also included herself as the photographic subject in her works,
attempting to explore the power balance between genders in Asian societies and cultures in a poetic way.
YiYi Wan 2003 2005
YiYi Wan Repression? Release?… (20032005) archival inkjet print on ultra smooth fine art paper p:20.5x13.7 cm i:12.7x10.16 cm. edition of 15.
#1 Womanliness as a Masquerade | #6 Song of Desire | #11 Flow from Blow
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1060032 669 208 Piramide Building, 2F, 669 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 1060032 JAPAN +81(0)3 6804 1708 | info@zenfoto.jp | www.zenfoto.jp
Hideka Tonomura, b. 1979 They called me Yukari (2013) 2005 2008
Hideka Tonomura (b. 1979, Kobe)’s series “They called me Yukari” (2013) consists snapshots of people and
environment around the artist when she was working in a Japanese hostess bar from 2005 to 2008 in Kabukicho,
Shinjuku. Moments of people who gathered in the night world of Shinjuku were captured in monochrome and red
light.
1979 (They called me Yukari) 2013
2005 2008
Hideka Tonomura They called me Yukari (2013) digital print on rc paper.
i&p:141.5 cm x 78 cm. edition of 3.
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1060032 669 208 Piramide Building, 2F, 669 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 1060032 JAPAN +81(0)3 6804 1708 | info@zenfoto.jp | www.zenfoto.jp
Tokyo Rumando ( b. 1980 ) ( )
Rest 3000~ Stay 5000~ 3000 ~ 5000 ~ (2012)
Tokyo Rumando (b. 1980, Tokyo) visited oldfashioned love hotels of Tokyo’s pleasure districts such as Shinjuku,
Ikebukuro and Uguisudani (Yoshiwara) alone in her self portrait series “Rest 3000~ Stay 5000~” (2012), naming
after the price signs commonly seen outside the love hotels. The series puts together street snapshots taken nearby
and inside the hotels as well as staged portraits shot inside the hotel rooms. To match up with the atmosphere or
occasions, the artist would dress up with different costumes and makeups as if she is being watched by someone.
The artist, in this series, is the photographer, director, subject being photographed, and viewer.
Tokyo Rumando 1980 ( )
Rest 3000 Stay 5000 2012
Tokyo Rumando Rest 3000~ Stay 5000~ (2012) silver gelatin print on fuji bromide baryta paper
p:8x10 inch. unique #976 | #941 | #939
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1060032 669 208 Piramide Building, 2F, 669 Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 1060032 JAPAN +81(0)3 6804 1708 | info@zenfoto.jp | www.zenfoto.jp
(Ting Cheng, b. 1985 ) Hound Are You (AW14 ) Sexy? Easy!
/
Ting Cheng (b. 1985, Taipei) did an art collaboration project with a Thai fashion brand in the publication “Hound Are
You?” (AW14 Typography Issue). The series titled “Sexy? Easy!” consists of surrealistic, intriguing and often sarcastic
portraits composed of food, plants, artificial utensils or objects.
1985
Hound Are You? 2014 Sexy?Easy!
Ting Cheng Sexy? Easy! (2014) gicleé fine arts prints on canson baryta gloss paper
i&p: 35.4x26.7 cm. edition of 5 Watering me | Pizza Ha Bubble tea | Pasta disk
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