Exhibition/event has ended.
"Shonan and Artist II: The Eye of Hiroshi Hamaya" Exhibition
Hiratsuka Museum of Art
Finished
SHARE
Artists
Hiroshi Hamaya
Hiratsuka Museum of Art will hold an exhibition of internationally renowned photographer Hiroshi Hamaya (1915-1999) who passed away 10 years ago, showcasing works from the museum collection.
Hamaya was born in Shitaya, Tokyo, and started taking photographs at the age of fifteen, when he got a camera as a gift from his father's friend. He began his career at the Oriental Photo Studio in Ginza when he was eighteen, working as a freelance photographer. In 1939, he visited Takada City in Niigata Prefecture for a job. Growing up in Tokyo, surrounded by the busy city environment, Hamaya was inspired by the lifestyle of people in the snowy countryside. He often traveled to Kuwatoridani, a small village in Takada City, in order to escape from the chaos of the wartime. He captured various scenes at new year's events in the village, approaching it from a viewpoint of folklore studies.
After the war ended, Hamaya devoted in researching and documenting the tough life of people living by the Sea of Japan, and also issues surrounding the US-Japan Security Treaty. Later on, while Japan was in the period of rapid economic growth and various forms of media became available, he felt unsure of the direction of photography and decided to travel around the world, taking pictures of natural environments.
As a documentary photographer, Hamaya became highly acclaimed and received the Hasselblad award in 1987. Throughout his entire career, he looked for an answer to the meaning of life through his camera. This retrospective exhibition presents about 70 works by Hamaya who constantly raised socially significant questions through photography.
[Image: "Rice Planting Woman" Collection of the Hiratsuka Museum of Art]
Hamaya was born in Shitaya, Tokyo, and started taking photographs at the age of fifteen, when he got a camera as a gift from his father's friend. He began his career at the Oriental Photo Studio in Ginza when he was eighteen, working as a freelance photographer. In 1939, he visited Takada City in Niigata Prefecture for a job. Growing up in Tokyo, surrounded by the busy city environment, Hamaya was inspired by the lifestyle of people in the snowy countryside. He often traveled to Kuwatoridani, a small village in Takada City, in order to escape from the chaos of the wartime. He captured various scenes at new year's events in the village, approaching it from a viewpoint of folklore studies.
After the war ended, Hamaya devoted in researching and documenting the tough life of people living by the Sea of Japan, and also issues surrounding the US-Japan Security Treaty. Later on, while Japan was in the period of rapid economic growth and various forms of media became available, he felt unsure of the direction of photography and decided to travel around the world, taking pictures of natural environments.
As a documentary photographer, Hamaya became highly acclaimed and received the Hasselblad award in 1987. Throughout his entire career, he looked for an answer to the meaning of life through his camera. This retrospective exhibition presents about 70 works by Hamaya who constantly raised socially significant questions through photography.
[Image: "Rice Planting Woman" Collection of the Hiratsuka Museum of Art]
Schedule | Feb 27 (Fri) 2009-Apr 12 (Sun) 2009 Opening Hours Information
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | Adults ¥200, University & High School Students ¥100 | ||||
| Venue | Hiratsuka Museum of Art | ||||
| Location | 1-3-3 Nishiyawata, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 254-0073 | ||||
| Access | 20 minute walk from the North exit of Hiratsuka Station on the JR Tokaido line; From the North exit of JR Hiratsuka Station, take the Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu bus and get off at Bijutsukan Iriguchi. | ||||
| Phone | 0463-35-2111 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
Back to Articles
SHARE