The Second Stage at GG #52
Ichiyo Ikezaki, Mayuko Sato, Saeka Somei Exhibition: “whereissheus”

The 52nd exhibition in “The Second Stage at GG” series will be “whereissheus,” a show of photographic works by Ichiyo Ikezaki, Mayuko Sato and Saeka Somei. This series spotlights artists who were finalists in one of the various open competitions held by Guardian Garden to support aspiring young talents. “The Second Stage at GG” exhibitions provide a look at what those promising artists have subsequently accomplished in their chosen fields.

Ichiyo Ikezaki was a finalist in the 5th “1_WALL” Photography Exhibition in 2011 for her works on the theme of personal relationships and family. Mayuko Sato won the Grand Prize in the 14th exhibition in the series, in 2016, for her photographs expressing restless anxiety toward life. Saeka Somei was selected as a finalist in the 13th exhibition, in 2015, for her installation depicting a vacuous world.

The 52nd Second Stage at GG will be a collective exhibition of works by these three artists, who developed a strong rapport through their shared interest in photography. Their subjects are the trio themselves, portrayed mostly in portrait format: sometimes self-portraits, and other times taking turns photographing each other. Their photos were taken at places associated with their past memories: a school they attended, a park, a hotel, a nearby forest, a suburban housing development, etc. Over the course of roughly two years starting in 2019 (interrupted only during the periods of emergency declared in response to the Covid-19 pandemic), through frequent communication they came to see themselves reflected in each other, and they proceeded to prepare photographs for their joint exhibition approached from their respective perspectives.

Their photographs contain elements of role playing, with the three artists each being photographed in the role of someone else. Their photos can also be interpreted as expressing intense feelings of incongruity toward the various frameworks demanded by social norms: the roles expected of mother and father within the family, of lovers, laborers, men, women, children, adults, etc. By capturing photos blending their respective memories, shared through discussions, and taking on the roles of others, photographing at random, the end result may be a perspective of looking on in silence, with neither affirmation nor denial.

Messages from the Artists