refractiv Photography Exhibition

Vogue-published photographer Kenji Shimizu, Grammy-nominated producer and artist rei mastrogiovanni, and doctoral candidate in Japanese literature Teppei Fukuda together crafted this selection of photographs that portray Oregon’s four seasons through a critical reimagining of Japanese seasonal aesthetics. Drawing on the visual techniques of sumi-e ink painting, the five sets of photographs express seasonality through portraiture, gesture, everyday objects, and atmosphere. At the same time, the artists are exploring the relationship between tradition and cultural identity as Japanese and multi-heritage Japanese artists living in Oregon, superimposing one of the most prevalent motifs in Japanese art onto a new context. The individual artists’ works will also be on display, as well as artwork from the museum’s collection.