From June 27 to September 8, 2024, the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre presents "Private Scenes: Masahisa Fukase Photography Exhibition." As the most comprehensive retrospective of Fukase's work to date in Asia, this exhibition systematically reviews and showcases the artist's significant works from his forty-year career, outlining the complete trajectory of his artistic exploration. The exhibition includes nearly 376 works, among which are the artist's most renowned melancholic work "Ravens," his beloved muse "Yoko," as well as "Private Scenes," "Family," "Games," and "Walking Eye."
Although Masahisa Fukase is generally regarded as a radical and experimental artist who continually challenges the boundaries of photography, he was born into a traditional family that ran a photo studio, with photography as their core and belief. As a "genius" with "a belly full of good techniques" but always causing chaos in the photo studio, he once stood at a crossroads deciding whether to become a master photographer or an artist. As one of the pioneers of "private photography," Fukase's affectionate gaze and the lens of his camera were always focused on those around him: his wife and family. He explored the most private and deeply moving emotions with humor and sometimes borderline madness.
Fukase established his unique artistic position in the 1960s and maintained a close friendship with renowned Japanese photographers such as Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki, standing together under the international spotlight. However, a tragic fall in 1992 left the artist with permanent brain damage. Fukase passed away in 2012, like a star suddenly dimming in the night sky. Since then, Fukase's name has been forever associated with the melancholy and mysterious aura of "Ravens."
For two decades following his unfortunate accident, most of his works were rarely seen by the public. Today, thanks to the relentless efforts of Mr. Tomo Kosuga, we can appreciate the artist's creations so completely. Since 2000, he began researching Fukase by collecting the artist's magazine submissions. In 2014, Kosuga co-founded the Masahisa Fukase Archives (MFA) and was entrusted by the family to serve as the director of the MFA. Over the years, he has delved into the background of Fukase's various series and the artist's personal journey, gradually bringing a large amount of previously unseen material to the public eye.
The exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Masahisa Fukase Archives (MFA) and the Three Shadows +3 Gallery, supported by the The Japan Foundation, Beijing and FANTAC.