Gallery Kiyooka Sumiko: A Tribute to a Japanese Photographer
Sumiko Kiyooka was a Japanese photographer who was born in 1921 and died in 1991. She was known for her portraits of children, women, and landscapes, as well as her experimental works using collage, montage, and solarization. In 1998, a collection of her photographs was published in a book titled Gallery Kiyooka Sumiko, which showcases the best of her artistic vision and expression.
Gallery Kiyooka Sumiko 1998
Early Life and Career
Kiyooka was born in Tokyo and grew up in a wealthy family. She studied at the Women's College of Fine Arts, where she learned painting and photography. She was influenced by the works of European photographers such as Man Ray, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Brassaï. She also admired the Japanese photographers Ihei Kimura and Nobuyoshi Araki. She started her career as a freelance photographer in 1946, working for magazines, newspapers, and advertising agencies. She also taught photography at various schools and institutions.
Portraits of Children and Women
Kiyooka's most famous works are her portraits of children and women, which capture their innocence, beauty, and emotions. She often used natural light and simple backgrounds to highlight the features and expressions of her subjects. She also experimented with different techniques such as blurring, cropping, and double exposure to create artistic effects. Some of her notable works in this genre include Nymphet, a series of photographs of young girls in various poses and outfits; Portrait of a Woman, a collection of photographs of women from different countries and cultures; and Mother and Child, a series of photographs of mothers with their babies.
Landscapes and Experimental Works
Kiyooka also photographed landscapes, especially those of Japan and Asia. She traveled extensively to places such as Korea, Vietnam, Okinawa, Taiwan, and China, where she documented the scenery, people, and culture. She also visited Europe and America, where she photographed famous landmarks and cities. Some of her notable works in this genre include Tokyo, a series of photographs of the urban landscape of Tokyo; Asia, a collection of photographs of various Asian countries; and Paris, a series of photographs of the French capital.
In addition to her realistic works, Kiyooka also created experimental works using collage, montage, and solarization. She combined different images to create surreal compositions that challenged the conventional notions of photography. She also used solarization, a technique that reverses the tones of an image by exposing it to light during development, to create dramatic effects. Some of her notable works in this genre include Collage, a series of collages made from cut-out photographs; Montage, a series of montages made from overlapping photographs; and Solarization, a series of solarized photographs.
Legacy and Influence
Kiyooka was one of the most influential photographers in Japan and beyond. She was recognized for her originality, creativity, and versatility. She received many awards and honors for her work, such as the Japan Photo Critics Association Award in 1959, the Mainichi Art Award in 1963, the Japan Art Academy Prize in 1978, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1989. She also participated in many exhibitions and publications, both nationally and internationally. Her work has been collected by many museums and galleries, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Kiyooka also inspired many photographers who followed her footsteps. Some of them include Eikoh Hosoe, Daido Moriyama, Nobuyoshi Araki, Miyako Ishiuchi, Rinko Kawauchi, and Nan Goldin. They admired her style, technique, and vision, and incorporated them into their own works. Kiyooka's legacy lives on through her photographs, which continue to fascinate and inspire viewers around the world.
References
Gallery Kiyooka Sumiko: A Tribute to a Japanese Photographer
Nymphet - Sumiko Kiyooka - Google Books
Portrait of a Woman - Sumiko Kiyooka - Google Books
Mother and Child - Sumiko Kiyooka - Google Books
Tokyo - Sumiko Kiyooka - Google Books
Asia - Sumiko Kiyooka - Google Books
Paris - Sumiko Kiyooka - Google Books
Collage - Sumiko Kiyooka - Google Books
Montage - Sumiko Kiyooka - Google Books
Solarization - Sumiko Kiyooka - Google Books
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