I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, front Cover Published by Aperture

The subtitle of this comprehensive compendium of the photographic efforts of a long unrecognized cadre of artists makes it clear:  “Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950’s to Now.”  The book accompanies an exhibit of the same name that is touring various venues in Europe including Arles in France, the Netherlands and other upcoming sites.  This is a formidable undertaking by the editors, Pauline Vermare and Lesley A. Martin, as they survey the artist portfolios of 25 diverse Japanese women photographers from 1950 onward who have been somewhat ignored in comparison to the fame and notoriety given to their male counterparts in Japan and throughout the world of photography.

©Asako Narahashi Kawaguchikko , Half Awake Half Asleep, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

©Eiko Yamazawa , What Am I Doing?, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

©Hitomi Watanabe, Todai Zenkyoto, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

The book presents a diverse look at a sampling of the portfolios of the 25 photographers with accompanying essays describing the artistic path of each individual.  One is struck by the wide range of artistic undertakings among the group that are just beginning to attract the attention they so clearly deserve.  This is a cornucopia of quiet talents who deserve more than a cursory gaze. Street photography, unusual landscapes, portraiture, installations, performance, typologies and the conceptual all make appearances in this detailed tome that includes informative essays, an illustrated bibliography, as well as the artist portfolios with biographical details.

©Kon Michiko, Yellowtail and Hat, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

©ieko Shiga, Mother’s Gentle Hands, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

According to Pauline Vermare, one of the book’s editors, “The primary focus of the women whose work appears in these pages has been, and remains, to find the means to be independent and represent their own experiences and views of the world.  Through their photographs, they have tirelessly shaped their own narratives, offering crucial alternative vantage points.” Her point is clearly made in the selection of images within the portfolios of each artist.  The tube of blue lipstick (belonging to her mother who had recently passed away) that Miyako Ishiuchi photographed is a world away from a more traditional landscape of Mount Fuji from the unusual perspective of being immersed in nearby Lake Kawaguchiko as captured by Asako Narahashi.  The vibrant primary colors of the still life, “What Am I Doing, #77″ of Eiko Yamazawa, contrast markedly with the low key still life of Michiko Kon entitled “Yellowtail and Hat”.

©Mikiko Hara, Small Myths, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

©Miwa Yanagi, Elevator Girl House, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

©Miyako Ishiuchi, Mother’s, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

The array of photographers is intergenerational which allows the essayists to discuss the evolution of the role of these women artists in terms of broader cultural and societal transitions within Japan.  They describe the female perspective of Japanese history particularly relating to the postwar period, the variety of views of the women on feminism and gender roles, the female gaze relating to men and masculinity, as well as performative aspects relating to the body and self-portraiture.  The book also includes a selection of key writings and interviews from leading Japanese curators, critics, artists and historians, many of which are published in translation for the first time.  In short, this is an important reference work for anyone with an interest or curiosity about the Japanese photographic milieu.

©Momo Okabe, Ilmatar, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

©Kinko Kawauchi, The Eyes The Ears, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

©Sakiko Nomura Hiroki, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

Editor Pauline Vermare is the Phillip and Edith Leonian Curator of Photography at the Brooklyn Museum.  She was formerly the cultural director of Magnum Photos in New York and curator at the International Center of Photography and Museum of Modern Art, both in New York.  Vermare was also the curator of 10/10 Celebrating Contemporary Japanese Women Photographers for the 2022 Kyotographie International Photography Festival.

Editor Lesley A. Martin is executive director of Printed Matter, New York.  Previously, she was the creative director of Aperture, where she served as editor on more than 150 books on photography and was the founding publisher of The PhotoBook Review.

The book is available at aperture.org/books

©Tamiko Nishimura, My Journey Zoku, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

©Tokuko Ushioda, My Husband, from I’m So Happy You Art Here – Japanese Women Photographers from 1950s to Now, Published by Aperture

©Yurie Nagashima, Full Figured