Close-up Universe: Contemporary Japanese Photography Vol.16

Japan’s largest dedicated photography museum presents work by six Japanese creators that seek to uncover the beautiful and the profound in the everyday and the seemingly mundane. With global travel more accessible than ever and a camera in every smartphone, it can feel like there is very little of our world that hasn’t been photographed. As a response, ’Close-up Universe’ seeks to subvert the idea that exploring far-away places is admirable whereas staying at home is boring. Harumichi Saito’s ‘Sekaisagashi’ series sees the photographer gaze upon children, plants, street corners and light itself with a pure sense of wonder that’s seemingly rare in the 21st century, while Jun Fujiyasu (a twin himself) explores identity and the human experience through separately photographed home portraits of twins.