This summer The Photographers’ Gallery presents a landmark exhibition, Japanese Women Photographers: From 1950s to Now.
Rewriting the story of Japanese photography through the eyes of women and showcasing the work of 27 groundbreaking artists from the 1950s to today, Japanese Women Photographers highlights the perspectives that have shaped how Japan sees itself – and how it is seen by the world.
Spanning themes of gender and identity, pop culture, nature, fashion and music, motherhood and everyday life, the exhibition brings together internationally renowned Japanese women photographers alongside those who have long been overlooked. The result is a powerful rebalancing of a history too often told through a single, male-dominated lens.
From pioneering figures of the post-war era to some of today’s most daring and experimental voices, the exhibition takes over the whole gallery this summer with more than 200 photographs, videos, installations and rare photobooks. Japanese Women Photographers is a vivid, intimate and expansive portrait of Japan, revealing how women artists have challenged conventions, captured social change and redefined photography across generations.
The exhibition shows how women have long been part of photography – both behind and in front of the camera. These pioneering women ran studios, worked in darkrooms and took their own photographs.
From documenting the changing roles of women in post-war Japan to sharing rarely-captured images from the frontlines of student protests, many of the featured photographers were innovators in their field.
In the late 1980s, when equal employment opportunity laws were passed, more Japanese women were able to pursue careers, including in photography. They elevated the everyday by capturing intimate moments of family life, motherhood and relationships. Many of the featured artists challenged traditional conventions of beauty and femininity by expressing their own experiences and perspectives on the world.
Japanese Women Photographers also celebrates a more experimental and daring approach to photography. By embracing collaborative projects, performance and sculpture, many of these artists reinforce the power of photography to provoke and surprise us.
Featured artists: HARA Mikiko, HIROMIX, ISHIKAWA Mao, ISHIUCHI Miyako, KATAYAMA Mari, KAWAUCHI Rinko, KOMATSU Hiroko, KON Michiko, NAGASHIMA Yurie, NARAHASHI Asako, NINAGAWA Mika, NISHIMURA Tamiko, NOGUCHI Rika, NOMURA Sakiko, OKABE Momo, OKANOUE Toshiko, ONODERA Yuki, SAWADA Tomoko, SHIGA Lieko, SUGIURA Kunié, TAWADA Yuki, TOKIWA Toyoko, TOMOKO Yoneda, USHIODA Tokuko, WATANABE Hitomi, YAMAZAWA Eiko, YANAGI Miwa.
Curated by Lesley A. Martin, Takeuchi Mariko and Pauline Vermare. This exhibition is in connection with the publication I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers 1950s to Now (Aperture, 2024). The exhibition was organised by Aperture in collaboration with the Rencontres d’Arles with support from Kering | Women In Motion, Ishibashi Foundation, Anne Levy Charitable Trust and 1970 Japan World’s Exposition Memorial Fund. The exhibition is also supported by Okan, The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. Additional curatorial collaboration for the exhibition in London, with Taous Dahmani, The Photographers’ Gallery.
Japanese Women Photographers: From 1950s to Now
June 24 – September 27, 2026
The Photographers’ Gallery
16–18 Ramillies Street
London W1F 7LW
www.tpg.org.uk
Monday – Saturday 10:30am – 6pm (Friday free from 5pm)
Sunday & Bank Holidays 11am – 6pm
