Starting September 26 (Wed) Guardian Garden will host the 19th “1_WALL” Photography Exhibition, part of an open competition for the right to mount a solo show at the gallery. The exhibition will feature works by six finalists after two rounds of judging: the first round focusing on all entrants’ portfolios, and the second round consisting of one-on-one discussions between the photographers selected in the initial round and the judges. In this group exhibition, each finalist is allocated one wall on which to show his or her works.
The final round of judging will take place on October 12 (Fri), i.e. while the exhibition is in progress. During this round, which is open to the public, the six finalists will give presentations about their works, and the judges will then discuss the relative merits of the six contenders’ works and select the Grand Prize winner. The winner’s prize is the privilege of holding a solo show at the gallery one year later, plus 200,000 yen to prepare for the show.
The nineteenth exhibition in this series brings together an eclectic array of young photographers. Masami Ueda shot a continuum of photos in which the ocean, changing daily, overlaps with the rapidly occurring events of everyday life.H/N draws material from the newspaper and completes one work a day in her room.Sana Kohmoto photographs scenes of the kind we fail to take note of.Den Gai, using a large format camera, shot his birthplace that was abandoned when its oil reserves dried up.Mariko Hara shoots everyday indoor and outdoor scenes separated by a window.Tetra Marui expresses the ambiguity of gender through portraits.
Masami Ueda
Graduated from Tamagawa University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Nippon Photography Institute.
“To the sea”
By imagining I sublimated reality. This is a story about “life.”
H/N
Born in 1984.
“PRIVATE VOYAGER”
I’m showing a series born from my daily routine of cutting out newspaper clippings.
Sana Kohmoto
Born in 1990. Graduated from Musashino Art University, Department of Imaging Arts and Sciences.
“To a distant room, in an unknown city”
Repetitive movement in order to continue being a person who doesn’t belong, one who arrives. Things not well understood always contain a kind of premonition. I construct a silent world, as if to respond to a distant voice, a wink.
Den Gai
Born in 1984. Graduated from Nippon Photography Institute.
“Living, being there”
This empty town was the start of my memories. In my childhood, the fact that things have endings was etched in my memory. I photograph people who were born and raised in the same place, and multiple feelings of nostalgia reflect in their faces.
Mariko Hara
Born in 1982. Graduated from Tokyo Zokei University with a degree in Design.
“picture window”
Scenery flowing inside and out nature environment area hope family difficult to be as it is with eyes on the window I look at that moment
Tetra Marui
Completed PhD coursework in the Department of Inter-Media Art at Tokyo University of the Arts.
“you and me”
Human gender undergoes changes in stages and has gradations of shade, wavering ever so slightly according to the other person and the situation. By reducing human relationships to the smallest unit, the 1-on-1 of “you and me” took shape.
Masami Ueda
Graduated from Tamagawa University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Nippon Photography Institute.
Narumi Hiramoto
Since 2017, Mr. Hiramoto has been showing his works at group exhibitions, etc. He won Grand Prize in the 20th “1_WALL” Photography Competition. Most recently he participated in PGI Summer Show 2019: “mono / tone” (Photo Gallery International, Tokyo).
Born in 1990. Graduated from Musashino Art University, Department of Imaging Arts and Sciences.
Born in 1984. Graduated from Nippon Photography Institute (Photo Criticism Seminar) in 2014.
2018 Gr...
Born in 1982. Graduated from Tokyo Zokei University with a degree in Design.
Tetra Marui
Completed PhD coursework in the Department of Inter-Media Art at Tokyo University of the Arts.
Judges (in Japanese syllabary order)
Ryo Sawayama（Art Critic）
Born in 1982. In 2007 he completed a Master of Art degree at Musashino Art University Graduate School of Science of Design. In 2009, his essay “Labor-work: Carl Andre and His Concept of Art Making” was selected for first prize in the 14th Art Critic Essay Contest organized by BIJUTSUTECHO. He teaches part-time at both Musashino Art University and Tokyo Metropolitan University, and is a frequent contributor to articles, magazines, etc.
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).
Yoshihisa Tanaka（Graphic Designer and Artist）
Born in 1980. His major work to date includes VI planning for Tokyo Photographic Art Museum and other cultural facilities, art direction of the POST bookshop and the TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR, and periodic creation of works as an artist. He is also active as half of the artist duo “Nerhol,” together with sculptor Ryuta Iida.
Kimi Himeno（Principal and director of AKAAKA Art Publishing）
Established AKAAKA Art Publishing in 2006. To date the company has published more than 200 books, mainly photo books and art books. Publications include many recipients of the Kimura Ihei Award: Lieko Shiga (“CANARY” 2007); Atsushi Okada (“I am” 2007); Masashi Asada (“Asadake” 2008); Cozue Takagi (“MID” 2009; “GROUND” 2009); Arata Dodo (“Taigan” 2012); Ryuichi Ishikawa (“A Grand Polyphony” 2014; “okinawan portraits 2010-2012” 2014); and Aya Fujioka (“Here Goes River” 2017). Since 2018 she is also a professor at Osaka University of Arts.
Rei Masuda（Chief curator at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo）
Born in Kobe in 1968. Completed the graduate course in Area Studies at the University of Tsukuba. Since 1992 he has worked at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (MOMAT). Among exhibitions he has curated in recent years are: “Josef Koudelka Retrospective” (2013), “Narahara Ikko: Domains” (2014), and “Thomas Ruff” (2016).
Organizer: Guardian Garden
