Arnolfini Gallery

16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA

19 Oct 2024 to
9 Feb 2025

Tue to Sun
11am to 6pm

At the edge of the everyday world celebrates over 20 years of work by internationally acclaimed Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi. She is best known for finding beauty in the everyday, her work characterised by a poetic or dreamlike quality that imbues mundane scenes and objects with a sense of wonder and transcendence.

Drawing upon work made over two decades, the exhibition reflects upon the fragile beauty of the world we collectively inhabit. From Hokkaido’s snowy landscapes to home life during the Covid pandemic, Kawauchi captures the connections and continuity of life on this planet we call home. 

Works presented will include: Illuminance, Ametsuchi and M/E. The title is taken from an essay written by Masatake Shinohara for Aperture in 2021.

About Rinko Kawauchi

Rinko Kawauchi was born in 1972 in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. In 2001, she simultaneously published three books – Utatane, Hanabi and Hanako – leading to critical acclaim. She has subsequently published multiple books, including: Aila (2005), the eyes, the ears and Cui Cui (all 2005), Illuminance (2011), Ametsuchi (2013), The River Embraced Me (2016) and M/E On this sphere Endlessly interlinking (2022). 

Kawauchi has held multiple solo exhibitions, including:  Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain (Paris, 2005), The Photographers’ Gallery (London, 2006), Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography (2012), Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto (2016) and Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery (2022). 

She has received multiple awards, including: the Kumara Ihei Photography Award (2002), the Infinity Award from the International Centre of Photography New York (2009), and the Sony Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award (2023). 

More information: https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/rinkokawauchi/

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Supported by: