For a long time, Japanese photography was dominated by male figures like Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki. Yet, female artists have left their mark on the country's visual landscape, without receiving the recognition they deserve. The exhibition I'm So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to NowThe exhibition, presented at the Fotomuseum Den Haag in the Netherlands from January 18 to May 5, 2025, rectifies this oversight. It brings together the work of twenty-six Japanese photographers, offering a new perspective on the history of this medium through bold and introspective works.

A long-delayed recognition

The exhibition, conceived by Pauline Vermare, Mariko Takeuchi and Lesley A. Martin in partnership with Aperture, is part of a dynamic of revaluing women artists.

For decades, Japanese photographers have found their place in Western museums. But their female counterparts have been largely ignored. I'm So Happy You Are Here corrects this omission by highlighting artists who have transformed photography in Japan. Their incisive and innovative vision opens new perspectives on society and female identity.

Daily life, identity, and experimentation: a photographic exploration

The exhibition unfolds around three major themes that intersect and interact.

Everyday life is a source of inspiration for many photographers. Through their lenses, mundane scenes become powerful visual narratives. Ushioda Tokuko, for example, transforms a simple refrigerator into a metaphor for home and domestic femininity.

Other artists question the place of women in Japanese society. Tokiwa Toyoko documents the lives of sex workers and nurses in the 1950s and 1960s, revealing a reality often rendered invisible. Yanagi Miwa, for her part, presents interchangeable female figures, illustrating the social pressure that imposes a fixed role on women.

Finally, some photographers push the boundaries of the medium by exploring new visual approaches. Katayama Mari makes her own body a subject of experimentation. Her portraits incorporate her prostheses as artistic extensions, thus questioning identity and body perception. Ishiuchi Miyako, for her part, captures everyday objects, such as a tube of lipstick, and imbues them with intense emotional charge, as in her series Mothers.

An essential exhibition

Far from being a simple retrospective, I'm So Happy You Are Here offers an immersion into a little-known history. It enriches our understanding of Japanese photography by revealing stories that have long remained in the shadows.

The exhibition is accompanied by an ambitious publication, edited by Aperture and directed by Lesley A. Martin and Pauline Vermare. Contributions from Carrie Cushman, Kelly Midori McCormick, and Takeuchi Mariko further explore this theme.

Exploring these works means reassessing our perspective on contemporary Japanese art. These images, both poetic and powerful, offer a fresh perspective on femininity and artistic creation. This essential exhibition restores the rightful recognition of women photographers and their fundamental role in the history of photography.