To mark its tenth anniversary, the IBASHO gallery in Antwerp is celebrating the sharing of Japanese photography and its minimalist aesthetic with a retrospective: “Looking Back: 10 Years of IBASHO.”
As its name suggests, IBASHO—which means “a place where you can be yourself” in Japanese—was designed as a relaxed and welcoming space where everyone can feel at home. It’s no coincidence that Martijn van Pieterson and Annemarie Zethof set up their gallery in their own home in Antwerp.
The Dutch couple’s first encounter with Japanese photography was through ukiyo-e, the art of Japanese printmaking. Zethof, then working in law, left her work to study photography at the Fotoacademie in Amsterdam. In 2008, the couple moved to London, where a visit to the exhibition of Daido Moriyama and William Klein, two leading figures in contemporary photography, at the Tate Modern marked a turning point. Shortly after, van Pieterson felt the need to reorient his career. As private collectors, they decided to leave London to found IBASHO in Antwerp, a gallery entirely dedicated to Japanese art photography characterized by a “Less is More” approach.
On March 26, 2015, they inaugurated IBASHO by unveiling a very first exhibition in their home and gallery, presenting works from their personal collection, accumulated over the years as private collectors. This anniversary exhibition will be held until May 18, 2025.
Looking Back: 10 Years of IBASHO
March 23 – May 18, 2025
IBASHO
Tolstraat 67
2000 Antwerp, Belgium
www.ibashogallery.com
