Reframing Japanese Photography: Japanese Women Photographers and the Photobook

Presented in conjunction with the ICP exhibition I'm So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now, this six-session seminar explores the work of Japanese women photographers from the postwar period to the present. Through close study of the exhibition, the accompanying Aperture publication, and original Japanese photobooks from the ICP Library, participants will examine their diverse artistic practices and lasting contributions to the history of Japanese photography. A central focus of the seminar is the relationship between the exhibition and the photobook. While the exhibition presents photographs within the gallery, the photobook offers another way of experiencing and understanding photographic work. Because the photobook has played a central role in Japanese photographic culture, it provides a unique framework for interpreting the photographers featured in the exhibition. By comparing photographs on the gallery walls with their presentation in original photobooks, participants will discover how editing, sequencing, design, printing, and materiality shape both the meaning and the experience of photographic projects. Organized around six thematic sessions, the seminar examines topics including memory, documentary practice, identity, experimentation, and the body. Through direct engagement with original Japanese photobooks from the ICP Library, participants will gain insight into how photographers have used the photobook not simply as a vehicle for reproducing images, but as a creative medium in its own right. Together, the exhibition and the photobook offer complementary perspectives that deepen participants' understanding of photographic practice and expand the ways they see, interpret, and discuss photography. The seminar welcomes photographers, students, educators, curators, collectors, librarians, publishers, booksellers, and anyone interested in Japanese photography, photobooks, and visual culture. No prior knowledge of Japanese photography is required.

Course Level / Prerequisite: Open to all skill levels. Students ranging from beginner to experienced will be successful in classes that are Open to All Skill Levels.

Students are encouraged to review ICP's Classroom Disclaimer for current information regarding COVID-19 policies, classroom guidelines, and more. These policies are subject to change at anytime.

Courses are subject to minimum enrollment. Please register early, within five days of the start-date, to reduce the likelihood of course cancellation and to ensure you receive all course-related materials in time to prepare for class. Registration for this course will close one day prior to the start date of the course.

Fee Breakdown