“On my first visit to Japan, I was blown away by the aesthetics, the spiritual and religious aspects, the curiosity of the people, their friendliness and generosity,” Kenna says. “Later, I went to Northern Hokkaido in the middle of winter, and it looked to me like a stark sumi-e ink painting, a white canvas with Kanji characters marked on it. I’ve been in love with the place ever since.”
Nikkei, Financial Times and Peter Fetterman Gallery are proud to present an exhibition tour by renowned photographer, Michael Kenna, during 2024. The exhibition, titled ‘Japan / A Love story’ - featuring highlights from Kenna’s work in Japan over almost four decades - will visit Tokyo, Los Angeles and London from April through October.
This exceptional collection of one hundred original silver gelatin prints, hand-crafted by Kenna, has been curated by Peter Fetterman. The exhibition will be complemented by publication of a book of the same name by Nazraeli Press, designed by Japan’s Hideyuki Taguchi.
Michael Kenna has been photographing landscapes around the world for over fifty years. His in-depth explorations and imagery of Japan, which he first visited in 1987, stand out as perhaps his most distinguished and well-known works.
The exhibition will run at Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica from May 11 to July 20, with a public book-signing on May 11; and at Asia House, New Cavendish Street in London from September 24 - October 20, with a public book-signing on September 28.
JAPAN / A LOVE STORY is sponsored by global media companies, Nikkei and Financial Times. It is presented by them in partnership with Peter Fetterman Gallery.
Introducing the project, Naotoshi Okada, Chairman of Nikkei and John Ridding, CEO of Financial Times write: “Nikkei and the FT, who forged a global partnership in 2015, are best known for business journalism. But we also share a long-standing commitment to culture and the arts, understanding their importance to vibrant societies and recognising that our readers have passions well beyond their professions. We hope people will enjoy the breadth, depth and beauty of this exhibition.”
