Bishin Jumonji

Bishin Jumonji became a freelance photographer in 1971. The following year he was hired to photograph for Shiseido and Matsushita Electric Industrial, marking the start of his involvement in shooting ad photos and commercial films. Simultaneously, he also began creating numerous works on topics of his own choosing. His debut work, the series titled “UNTITLED” (no heads), was shown in the “New Japanese Photography” exhibit at the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1974. In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Jumonji produced numerous works about humanity and the Japanese, drawing upon his personal experiences. Subsequently his interest shifted to Japanese-style beauty, with his ambivalent sense of esthetics – both the glittery gold and the understated austerity of “wabi” – culminating in his photographic works. Today Mr. Jumonji is also probing experimental approaches to visual expression from diverse angles, including photobooks featuring 3D photography and installations of videos to be experienced in darkness. He is also a professor in the Department of Graphic Design at Tama Art University.