Born in Osaka in 1938, Moriyama began working as a freelance photographer in 1963, and soon made an unprecedented impact on the Japanese photography world with his radical works that completely overturned previous concepts of photography. His 1972 photo book Bye Bye Photography is one of Daido Moriyama’s masterpieces and an unparalleled book in the history of Japanese photography, in which he aimed to deconstruct photography by thoroughly pursuing his unique style, which he described as “Are, Bure, Boke”.

Moriyama has said that “life itself is photography” and that “the camera is a copy machine that captures the world,” and he continues to take an enormous number of photographs to this day. While he is popular with people of all ages, in recent years he has won over new fans, mainly those in their 20s, through his ambitious activities, such as collaborations with fashion brands and workshops. Large-scale solo exhibitions have been held in various locations, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1999 and the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris in 2003, and he has received high praise worldwide.

Some rare photos taken in Hokkaido in the late ’70s.
In the same year that he published Bye Bye Photography, Daido Moriyama began self-publishing his personal magazine “Kiroku” (Records), aiming for a place of free expression unrestricted by existing media.

This exhibition features many of the photographs from the latest revived issue of the legendary photo magazine “Kiroku,” which has been out of print since its fifth issue in 1973, reconstructed using original, uncropped prints. It also features many unpublished works taken in Hokkaido in the late 1970s, as well as silkscreen works, which are the artist’s own preference. The exhibition combines old and new works, self-edited by the photographer himself to reflect his current mood.

Come experience the charm of photographer Daido Moriyama, who has led the way through the ages and always been a charismatic figure, attracting attention not only from those in the photography industry, but also from the worlds of design and art.