Yusuke Yamatani "ONSEN"

Taka Ishii Gallery Photography / Film is pleased to present Yusuke Yamatani's solo exhibition "ONSEN." This marks Yamatani's first solo exhibition at Taka Ishii Gallery, showcasing a new configuration of works from his "ONSEN" series, which he has been developing longer than any other series in his career.
"ONSEN" is a series Yamatani began nearly 15 years ago as a personal interest, inspired by the search for natural hot springs--wild springs that emerge naturally in rugged, unmanicured landscapes.
This exhibition also introduces a new experiment within the series: lumen prints. During his journeys to hidden springs, Yamatani recorded "casual conversations" exchanged among his companions and transferred these words onto photographic paper from Japan, the United States, China, France, India, Russia, and other places, each from different periods. Long-expired, the paper has developed unique textures and variations due to storage conditions, mold, exposure, and chemical compositions, revealing different faces. Through the passage of time visible on these papers, Yamatani illuminates words that transcend both era and place, capturing the universal resonance of human connection.
Yamatani's new book "ONSEN MMXXIV" will be published in conjunction with the exhibition.

Photo：Yusuke Yamatani "ONSEN #042", 2022 C-Print 64 x 96 cm © Yusuke Yamatani Courtesy of Taka Ishii Gallery Photography / Film