Matsubeya | Chihiro Ogawa 'Fading Portraits'
Chihiro Ogawa's photo exhibition 'Fading Portraits' featuring endangered species from Japanese zoos was held.Summary
Chihiro Ogawa's photo exhibition 'Fading Portraits' was held at NIKON Plaza Tokyo THE GALLERY from March 31 to April 13, 2026. The exhibition features photographs of endangered species kept in zoos across Japan. The works are composed in vertical frames with dark backgrounds that highlight the vivid animals in the center. This uniform style evokes the impression of portraits or trading cards. Ogawa intended to appeal that this series should not become 'portraits of a species' by using a portrait photography style reminiscent of Baroque paintings to grant animals the same dignity as humans, drawing a parallel to the fact that the figures in old portraits are no longer in this world. The dim background between the animals and the darkness demonstrates the state between life and death, preservation and extinction. Since the scenery captured by the camera is from the past, this dim middle part also functions as resistance to the discourse that all photographs belong to death. The processed background parts sometimes retain clumsy traces of hands, conveying the artist's intervention and a strong will to do so, which adds charm to the works. The photo group possesses documentary qualities as it contains elements that allow one to glimpse the artist's attitude and presence.
(Source：artscape)