The Daido Moriyama photography exhibition "Dazai" will be held from December 20th to February 23rd, 2015. The "Dazai" in the exhibition title refers to the novelist Osamu Dazai.
Dazai was born into a wealthy family in Aomori and was active as a novelist for just 15 years, from 1933 to 1948. He ended his 38-year life by drowning in the Tamagawa Canal. During this short period, he produced masterpieces that will go down in history. His representative works include "No Longer Human," "Shayo," "Tsugaru," and "Bannen." He excelled in stories of women's confessions and was known as a master of the short story. A memorial service for Dazai, "Cherry Blossom Memorial," is still held on his birthday, June 19th, at Zenrinji Temple in Mitaka, where he is buried. His work remains timeless to this day. Photographer Daido Moriyama is said to have been one of those captivated by Dazai.
Moriyama first encountered Dazai's novels when he was a junior high school student. The impact of Dazai's work on him during his impressionable years, when he shunned school and instead studied on the streets, is immeasurable. Now, years later, Moriyama says, "Dazai's novels perfectly match the postwar images I sensed and remembered through my sense of smell and sight." This resulted in the publication of his latest photo book, "Daido Moriyama: DAZAI" (Match & Company, MMM label no. 5, featuring Dazai Osamu's "Villon's Wife" / ¥5,000). This exhibition also marks the realization of a project featuring approximately 50 monochrome works spanning the 1970s to the present, selected by Moriyama as a homage to Dazai. The exhibition will be held at the Harajuku art space "AM." A signing session with Daido Moriyama is scheduled for January 10th from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
【Event Information】
Daido Moriyama Photography Exhibition "DAZAI"
Venue: AM
Address: Jingu Heights 301/302, 6-33-14 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Dates: December 20th to February 23rd, 2015
Time: 13:00 to 19:00
Closed: Mondays (except the last day) and Tuesdays, December 29th to January 6th
Free admission
