Takano Ryudai: Kasubaba
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum traces the career of one of Japan’s most compelling contemporary photographers with ‘Takano Ryudai: Kasubaba, Living through the ordinary’. Since receiving the prestigious Kimura Ihei Award in 2006 for his acclaimed series ‘In My Room’, Takano has gained international recognition for his unflinching exploration of sexuality, intimacy and the human body. Equally, his lesser-known yet deeply personal daily snapshots – what he terms kasubaba – reveal a poetic sensitivity to the ordinary moments that shape our lives.
Takano has been shooting kasubaba since 1998, reflecting his enduring commitment to photographing the overlooked textures of urban life through scenes so mundane they often escape notice. This exhibition brings together these candid images, alongside works exploring shadows and the nature of photography itself, created in the wake of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Through his quiet yet profound visual diary, Takano invites viewers to confront the fragile beauty of the everyday. In a world marked by upheaval, disaster and uncertainty, kasubaba offer a meditation on resilience, presence, and the act of truly seeing. The retrospective celebrates Takano’s artistry while providing a poignant reminder of life’s fleeting, unadorned moments.