IBASHO presents a retrospective solo exhibition by Naohiro Ninomiya. Ninomiya (°1969, Japan) moved from Japan to Strasbourg in 1988 to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. This move fostered a deepening appreciation for his native culture and philosophies. Regular visits to Japan, provide him with the raw photographic material. It is in Strasbourg where Ninomiya translates these photos into his artistic creations.

Throughout the exhibited series spanning a period from 2010 until today, the profound connection between Ninomiya and Japan is unmistakable. Moreover, his body of work is infused with the essence of wabi-sabi, celebrating the beauty found in imperfection, impermanence and incompleteness.

'Katami' (2013), for example, grapples with the transience of life. Following the passing of his mother, Ninomiya embarked on creating photograms of her kimonos. These ephemeral pieces reflect the fragile nature of human existence. The series 'Glanage' (2019 - ongoing), comprises delicate oro-tone works that Ninomiya gathers, serving as tokens of gratitude for the fleeting moments of beauty encountered in everyday life. In 'Nokomi' (2017 – ongoing), Ninomiya captures carp swimming upstream in water that was used to craft the washi paper upon which they are portrayed. The irregular edges of the prints underscore the beauty found in imperfection and signify the constant motion within the water and the universe at large. The artist will be present during the opening.

IBASHO is a gallery and art dealership in Antwerp that specialises in Japanese and International Fine Art Photography, and that has opened in March 2015. On the ground floor of a nineteenth century townhouse you can feel at ease while looking at works from well-known Japanese photographers, from younger contemporary Japanese artists and from Western photographers who were inspired by Japan. Since photo books are important within Japanese photography, IBASHO also has an extensive book department containing contemporary and antiquarian Japanese photo books. Since 2019 we have started publishing books in collaboration with the (M) éditions.