An illuminating introduction to photographer Issei Suda, who captured the soul of Japan old and new

The work of Issei Suda (1940-2019) is distinct in contemporary avant-garde Japanese photography for its celebration of the beauty of the everyday. His black and white pictures reflect on apparent banality of urban life, capturing the little surprises usually ignored in our world: the shadow of a figure, the shapes of the street, the expressions on stranger's faces. Sudas practice revealed the tensions between old and new Japan, juxtaposing the ingrained visual traditions of Japanese culture with the prevailing western vocabulary of fashion, advertising and leisure, as seen through his observant and tender lens.

About the Author:

Simon Baker is Director of the Maison Européenne de la photographie (MEP).