Dates: Jun 28 – Jul 26, 2014
Location: Taka Ishii Gallery Modern (Piramide Bldg., Roppongi)

Taka Ishii Gallery Modern is pleased to present “REBORN (Scene 2) ― Platinum Print Series,” a solo exhibition of works by Nao Tsuda, from June 28 to July 26. Tsuda first exhibited his “REBORN” series with a solo exhibition titled “Tulkus’ Mountain (Scene 1)” held in Tokyo in 2011. Up until now, the series has been exhibited three times, including one exhibition at Taka Ishii Gallery Kyoto in 2012. This exhibition will feature ten images selected from the series which have been produced as platinum prints with support from amanasalto.

The “REBORN” series, which Tsuda began in 2010, is shot in Bhutan, the only Tibetan Tantric Buddhist nation in the world. Tsuda has explored the origin and contemporary practice of Buddhism in Bhutan, a place where religion is deeply rooted in people’s lives and there is a tradition of reverence for deities, Buddhas and the natural world. This series takes its title from the Tibetan Tantric Buddhist belief in reincarnation, and the images here document the practice and tradition of this religion, which has been practiced over centuries in Bhutan in close proximity to the harsh natural conditions of the Himalayas. Tsuda has captured Bhutan’s many temples and monasteries, along with their monks and the religious festivals and rituals that are practiced inside them.

The kingdom of Bhutan is a small Tibetan Tantric Buddhist nation standing at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains. It is said that Bhutan is comparable to Kyushu in size, but it feels surprisingly larger. As its people revere not only deities and Buddhas but also the natural world, the production of such an invasive structure as a mountain tunnel is out of the question. In Bhutan, people continue to travel according to the natural topography. Time, therefore, passes gently in Bhutan; Tibetan Tantric Buddhist beliefs, deep as ravines, can be passed down through the generations here. I traveled to Bhutan four times. I arrived each time in Paro, where the international airport is located, and visited the temples in Thimphu. I then traveled on mountain trails leading north and worshipped holy mountains with nomadic peoples. I also traveled to the Bumthang district to visit its many ancient temples. During the Tshechu festivals, held in all four seasons, monks performed masked dances. I was moved by the devotion of the Bhutanese people.

Nao Tsuda

Tsuda was born in 1976 in Kobe. Since 2001, he has mainly produced landscape images. He travels the world with the aim of translating the ancient relation between people and nature through his photography. Tsuda has attracted attention for his tendency to focus on invisible phenomena: he traces local histories, considers the landscape and the people living there in terms of the layers of time that have built up since ancient times, and attempts to grasp the essence of this invisible world. In recent years, he has gone beyond the field of contemporary art, producing magazine columns in collaboration with practitioners of other disciplines, giving lectures and holding special seminars. In 2010, Tsuda won the Art Encouragement Prize for New Artist in Fine Arts. His other series include “Coming Closer” (2001–2004), “Kogi,” (2005–2009), “SMOKE LINE” (2008), “Rera Faraway” (2009), “Storm Last Night” (2010), “Earth Rain House” (2012), and “SAMELAND” (2014). We sincerely hope that you will take this opportunity to experience Tsuda’s works, which sincerely explore photography’s relation to time in a new and unique fashion.

Simultaneous Exhibition:
“On the Mountain Path”
Dates: Jun 27 – Aug 23, 2014
Location: Gallery 916 (6F No.3 SUZUE Bldg., 1-14-24 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Opening reception: Jun 27, 18:30 – 20:30

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