Keiichi Tahara
Encyclopedia
is a renowned Japan
ese photographer.
In 1972 in France, he encountered a sharp, harsh and piercing light that he had never experienced in Japan while he was traveling Europe with Red Buddha Theater, where he was a lighting and visual technician. Since then, he remained in Paris for next 30 years and started his career as a photographer.
His first series of work “Ville (City)” (1973–1976) captured the unique light in Paris in black-and-white photography. His next series of work “Fenetre(Windows)” (1973–1980) awarded the best new photographer by Arles International Photography Festival in 1977 and he moved into the limelight.The following year, he started the new series “Portrait” (1978), then “Eclat” (1979–1983) and ”Polaroid” (1984) and received number of awards such as Ihei Kimura
award (1985).
His morphological approach to light has extended to sculpture, installations, and other various method crossing over the genre of photography. In 1993, in moat of the Castle of Angers (1993), the first light sculpture in France, "Fighting the Dragon” (1993) was installed.
His representative work is Garden of Light (Eniwa
, Hokkaido, 1989) where light sculptures are installed in a public space that is covered by a meter of snow six months of the year. The light changes in response to music and presents a space of poetic dimensions. Based on the same concept, in the year 2000, Echos du Lumières was installed in the Canal Saint-Martin, commissioned as a public space project by the City of Paris. The spectacle colors from the prisms illuminate the stone wall synchronizing with the sounds.
Others are permanent outdoor installation “Niwa (Garden)” at the Photography Museum in Paris ( Maison Europeenne de la Photographie) in 2001, “ Prtrail de Lumiere” installation as a part of European Capital of culture event “ Lille 2004” in 2004, and “ Light Sculpture” exhibition at Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art museum in 2004.
In 2008, Ginza 888 building was built by his total produce, art direction of the Museum of Islamic Art and he published a photography book.
Tahara continues to produce a number of light installation projects in urban spaces.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese photographer.
Life and career
Keiichi Tahara (Japanese: 田原桂一, 20 Aug 1951) was born in Kyoto. He learnt photography technique at early age by having spent his childhood close to the grandfather, who was a professional photographer.In 1972 in France, he encountered a sharp, harsh and piercing light that he had never experienced in Japan while he was traveling Europe with Red Buddha Theater, where he was a lighting and visual technician. Since then, he remained in Paris for next 30 years and started his career as a photographer.
His first series of work “Ville (City)” (1973–1976) captured the unique light in Paris in black-and-white photography. His next series of work “Fenetre(Windows)” (1973–1980) awarded the best new photographer by Arles International Photography Festival in 1977 and he moved into the limelight.The following year, he started the new series “Portrait” (1978), then “Eclat” (1979–1983) and ”Polaroid” (1984) and received number of awards such as Ihei Kimura
Ihei Kimura
Born on 12 December 1901 in Shitaya-ku , Tokyo, Kimura started taking photographs when very young but his interest intensified when he was around 20 and living in Tainan, Taiwan, where he was working for a sugar wholesaler. He opened a photographic studio in Nippori, Tokyo in 1924...
award (1985).
His morphological approach to light has extended to sculpture, installations, and other various method crossing over the genre of photography. In 1993, in moat of the Castle of Angers (1993), the first light sculpture in France, "Fighting the Dragon” (1993) was installed.
His representative work is Garden of Light (Eniwa
Eniwa
may refer to:* Eniwa, Hokkaidō, a city in Japan.* Mount Eniwa, a volcano in Ishikari, Hokkaidō, Japan....
, Hokkaido, 1989) where light sculptures are installed in a public space that is covered by a meter of snow six months of the year. The light changes in response to music and presents a space of poetic dimensions. Based on the same concept, in the year 2000, Echos du Lumières was installed in the Canal Saint-Martin, commissioned as a public space project by the City of Paris. The spectacle colors from the prisms illuminate the stone wall synchronizing with the sounds.
Others are permanent outdoor installation “Niwa (Garden)” at the Photography Museum in Paris ( Maison Europeenne de la Photographie) in 2001, “ Prtrail de Lumiere” installation as a part of European Capital of culture event “ Lille 2004” in 2004, and “ Light Sculpture” exhibition at Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art museum in 2004.
In 2008, Ginza 888 building was built by his total produce, art direction of the Museum of Islamic Art and he published a photography book.
Tahara continues to produce a number of light installation projects in urban spaces.
Awards
- 1977 Grand Prix des Rencontres Arles Photographie, France
- 1978 Prix Kodak de la Critique Photographique en France, France
- 1984 Japan Professional Photographers SocietyJapan Professional Photographers SocietyThe is a Tokyo-based organization of photographers founded in 1950 that has continued to this day. Its logo reads “JPS”. It was formed from the combination of three earlier organizations, none more than two years old: Seinen Hōdō Shashin Kenkyūkai , Seinen Shashinka Kyōkai , and Shashinka Shūdan...
Prize, Japan - 1985 Higashikawa PrizeHigashikawa PrizeThe has been awarded to photographers by the "Phototown" of Higashikawa, Hokkaidō since 1985. The Overseas and Domestic Photographer prizesare of 500,000 yen and the New Photographer and Special prizes are of 300,000 yen....
, Japan - 1985 Kimura Ihei AwardKimura Ihei AwardThe is a Japanese photographic award that attracts the attention of the mass media and book-buyers.The award has been given every year since 1975 by the Asahi Shimbun Company, publisher of Asahi Shimbun and the magazine Asahi Camera, in honor of the photographer Ihei Kimura...
, Japan - 1988 Prix Nicéphore Niépce, France
- 1989 ADC Prize, Japan
- 1990 Bourse Villa Medicis-Hors les murs, France
- 1993 Grand Prix de la Château BeychevelleChâteau BeychevelleChâteau Beychevelle is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The chateau makes a second label wine called Amiral de Beychevelle.-...
, Franco-Japonaise, France - 1993 Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, France
- 1994 ADC Prize, Japan
- 1995 Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris, France
- 1999 Laureat Project, Vallée de la Chimie, Lyon, France
- 1999 Concours Festival Lumières, Lyon, France,
- 2003 Laureat Project, Vallée de la Chimie, Lyon, France
- 2003 Talents du luxe, prix de l’originalité, Paris, France