Miho Kajioka's (b. 1973, Japan) delicate surfaces conjure memories, half-remembrances, and faded yet still discernible images. Featuring the artist’s latest works and new explorations into colour, this exhibition follows the journey of a solitary figure, transported through dreamlike landscapes that exist within and beyond the boundaries of the tangible. Captivating all senses, as time takes on a whimsical quality, the artist shifts between the familiar and the ethereal.
Having completed her studies in fine art, Miho felt she must take a break from her artistic practice to travel widely and learn about the world. Over ten years later, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan reconnected Kajioka to her photographic art. Whilst working as a journalist in the coastal city of Kamaishi, where over 800 people died, she found roses blooming beside a blasted building. From that moment on, she decided to focus on creating artworks showing that beauty can be found in small things.
Kajioka is fascinated by the chronology and meaning of events. According to her, photography captures moments and freezes them; printing impressions is like playing with memories and the sense of time. Her minimalist images draw on the Japanese tradition of “wabi-sabi” – the appreciation of beauty in imperfection and transience, and the Zen/Taoist belief that the essence of an object exists in the empty space inside and around it. These negative spaces in her meticulously exposed, toned, and hand-finished prints hold equal significance to the subjects that emerge.
The artist has designed a scent to evoke the passing of time. “I made this based on a zen saying, Shōju Sennen No Midori, which signifies that the green colour of pine leaves shall endure the long passage of a thousand years.” Released into the gallery space, this fragrance accompanies you on the journey.
Miho Kajioka’s work is available to purchase from £850 + VAT. All profits from print sales supports The Photographers’ Gallery‘s public programme. Own Art allows you to acquire the art you love and pay it back in 10 monthly instalments, completely interest free.
