Shomei Tomatsu

Shomei Tomatsu, born 1930, Nagoya, Japan, died 2012, Naha, Okinawa, Japan Major solo exhibitions include: “Shomei Tomatsu: Island Life”, Art Institute of Chicago (2013), “Tomatsu Shomei: Photographs,” Nagoya City Art Museum (2011), “Tomatsu Shomei: Tokyo Mandala,” Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography (2007), “Aichi Mandala: Tomatsu Shomei’s Landscape,” Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, Nagoya (2006), “Okinawa Mandala,” Urasoe Art Museum (2002), “Shomei Tomatsu: Skin of the Nation” organized by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, touring venues in America and Europe (2004-2007), “Interface,” The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (2004), “Nagasaki Mandala,” Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum (2000), “Traces: Fifty Years of Tomatsu’s Work,” Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography (1999) Among his major awards are the Japan Photo Critics Association Newcomer’s Award (1958), the Japan Photo Critics Association Artist Award (1961), the Mainichi Art Award (1976), The Minister of Education, Science and Culture’s Art Encouragement Prize (1976), The Medal with Purple Ribbon (1995) and The Photographic Society of Japan Distinguished Contributions Award (2005).

“A photographer looks at everything, which is why he must look fron the beginning to end, face the subject head-on, stare fixedly, turn the entire body into an eye and face the world.” – Shomei Tomatsu