HITOMI WATANABE

Born in 1939 in Tokyo, Hitomi Watanabe is an iconic figure in Japanese photography. She graduated in 1968 from the Tokyo College of Photography, where she unveiled her graduation exhibition “World of the Street Hawkers”. This exhibition, of remarkable artistic sensitivity, was published among other works in the magazines “Shashin Graphic” and “Shashin Eizo”, where she became known for having photographed the lively streets of Shinjuku.

Involved in the Zen-kyoto student movement, Hitomi is the only photographer to have had access to the inside of the barricaded university. She managed to capture the essence of this historical protest. Her images then become an important and unique testimony, through their intimate approach, of this bubbling period of Japanese history. They form a historical corpus of the only female photographer involved in Zen-kyoto.

In 1972, Hitomi began traveling in Asia, visiting India and Nepal, and even deciding to stay there. Since her return to Japan, her photography has been essentially a spiritual document as a message to the “Living Spirits”.

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Born in 1939 in Tokyo, Hitomi Watanabe is an emblematic figure in Japanese photography. She graduated in 1968 from the Tokyo College of Photography, where she presented her graduation exhibition 'World of the Street Hawkers'. This exhibition, with its remarkable artistic sensitivity, was published alongside other of her work in the magazines 'Shashin Graphic' and 'Shashin Eizo', where she became known for photographing the busy streets of Shinjuku.

Involved in the Zen-kyoto student movement, Hitomi is the only photographer to have had access to the inside of the barricaded university. She managed to capture the essence of this historic protest. Her images become an important and unique testimony, through their intimate approach, of this lively period in Japanese history. They form a historical body of work by the only female photographer involved in Zen-kyoto.

In 1972, Hitomi began traveling in Asia, particularly in India and Nepal, where she even decided to stay. Since her return to Japan, her photography has essentially been a spiritual document, a message to the 'Living Spirits'.