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EXHIBITION

Discovering the Next Generation of Young Photographers

1st “1_WALL” Photography ExhibitionAn exhibition of works and presentations by six finalists after two rounds of judging. Who will win the Grand Prize?

  • DATES : Mon. August 24 - Thu. September 17, 2009
  • HOURS : 12:00p.m.-7:00p.m. (8:30p.m. on Wednesdays)
  • Closed Sundays and holidays. Admission free.

Guardian Garden is pleased to announce the 1st “1_WALL” Photography Exhibition. The exhibition supersedes the earlier series of “Hitotsubo” exhibitions, which reached a landmark 30th event in spring 2008. The “1_WALL” Photography Exhibition is part of an open competition for the right to mount a solo show at the gallery. It will feature works by six finalists after two rounds of judging: the first round is focused on all entrants’ portfolios, and the second round reviews the portfolios of the photographers selected in the initial round.

The final round of judging will take place on September 3 (Thu), i.e. while the exhibition is in progress. During this round, which is open to the public, the six finalists will give presentations of their works, based on which the five judges noted below will select the Grand Prize winner. The winner’s prize is the privilege of mounting a solo show at the gallery one year later, with permission to prepare an exhibition pamphlet.

While the “Hitotsubo” series involved a single round of judging of portfolios, the addition of a second round in the “1_WALL” series calls for an even greater commitment by both the entrants and the judges. We hope many visitors will be on hand to see which of the six finalists will be chosen as the new star among today’s up-and-coming photographers.

The six finalists
At the final judging session on September 3, Shimai Nakayama was selected as the Grand Prize winner.

Shimai Nakayama

  • Koji Omaru

  • Koji Sato

  • Fumitaka Nakayama

  • Yosuke Yajima

  • Yuki Watanabe

Koji Omaru
Born in 1980.

Koji Sato
Born in 1980.

*Grand Prize Winner*
Shimai Nakayama
Born in 1984.

Fumitaka Nakayama
Born in 1977.

Yosuke Yajima
Born in 1981.

Yuki Watanabe
Born in 1982.

Koji Omaru

Born 1980 in Fukuoka,Japan. Base in Tokyo. My field is photographs about cityscapes and architecture...

Koji Sato

Born in Tokyo, 1980. Worked at Shoto Studio and studied under Kazuki Nagayama, Independent photograp...

Shimai Nakayama

Nakayamashimai was born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1984. She graduated from Musashino Art University in 2009 with a concentration in oil painting. In addition to winning the Grand Prize in the 1st “1_WALL” Photography Competition, she has shown her works at: “Animals and Cars,” a two-person show at Art Center Ongoing (Tokyo, 2010); Aburakame art space (Okayama, 2009); “Sunny Side ZENSHI” at ZENSHI (Tokyo, 2009); “Cow Fossils” at Shinjuku Art Infinity (Tokyo, 2008); “Salaryman Cafeteria” at Izushi Geijutsu Hyakkagai (Izushi, Okayama, 2008); and “Home Bakery Travels” at Art and Rice Harvest Festival (Kagawa, Naoshima, 2007). Nakayama’s main photography venues to date include: Imotaka Flower Farm (Okinoerabu, Kagoshima, 2010); Honeybee Children’s Club (Yokohama, 2009); Rajadamnern Boxing Stadium (Bangkok, 2009); JA Miyazaki Dried Radish Factory (Miyazaki, 2008); Hidaka Fruit Farm (Miyazaki, 2008); Chrysalis House (Yokohama, 2008); Nishikata Hospital (Ibaraki, 2008); Salaryman Cafeteria (Izushi, Okayama, 2008); Dokkyo Medical University Hospital (Ibaraki, 2008); and Onishi Farm (Hokkaido, 2007).

Fumitaka Nakayama

Born in 1977.

Yosuke Yajima

Born in 1981.

Yuki Watanabe

Born in 1982.

Judges (in Japanese syllabary order)

Atsuki Kikuchi(Graphic designer)

Born in Tokyo in 1974. He attended Musashino Art University, majoring in Sculpture. In 2000 he established Bluemark, and then in 2011 he founded his own design studio. His work areas include brand planning, logo design, signage planning, editorial design, etc., with a strong focus on art, fashion and architecture. He is also the principal of Book Peak, planners and publishers of art books.

Risaku Suzuki(Photographer)

Born in Shingu, Wakayama, in 1963. In 2000 he received the 25th Kimura Ihei Award in Photography for “PILES OF TIME.” His recent publications include “Water Mirror” (Case Publishing / Fine-Art Photography Association), “SAKURA” (edition nord), “Étude” (SUPER LABO), “Between the Sea and the Mountain – Kumano ” (amanasalto), “Ishiki no nagare” [Stream of Consciousness] (edition nord) and “Atelier of Cézanne” (Nazraeli Press).

Mariko Takeuchi(Critic of photography)
Rika Noguchi(Photographer)

Born in 1971 in Saitama City, currently living in Naha, Okinawa. In 1994 she graduated from Nihon University’s College of Art, Department of Photography. She began production of photographic works during he university years, and has been active both in Japan and abroad mainly with exhibitions of her works. She has also participated in numerous international exhibitions of contemporary art, most recently the 21st Biennale of Sydney, “SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium & Engagement” (2018).

Satoshi Machiguchi(Art director, Publisher)

President of the design studio match and company, inc. In 2005 he launched “M,” a photo book label, and began operating “bookshop M,” a website selling photo books. Since 2008 he has continuously exhibited his works at “Paris Photo,” one of the world’s foremost photography festivals, just one example of how he demonstrates his unique approach to his art. He probes the possibilities of Japanese photo books from a global perspective.

Organizer: Guardian Garden