ben leighton 1/7/23 ben leighton 1/7/23

TOMIYASU HAYAHISA: four years of human oddity around a ping pong table

Tomiyasu Hayahisa obsessively documented the bizarre actions of Leipzig residents around a ping pong table for 4 years straight

ben leighton 11/5/22 ben leighton 11/5/22

IZUMI MIYAZAKI: modern japanese surrealism

Izumi Miyazaki’s humorous self portraits began on Tumblr and grew into an internationally acclaimed surrealist exploration of self

ben leighton 9/25/22 ben leighton 9/25/22

KIMIKO NISHIMOTO: Japan’s absurdist obasan

Kimiko Nishimoto is more than just a quirky obasan - she’s an instagram sensation showing that those in their 90’s can still stay relevant in the social media age

ben leighton 6/3/22 ben leighton 6/3/22

BURAIHA: The ‘decadents’ of Japan

Known as the “school of irresponsibility and decadence,” the ragtag Buraiha (無頼派) authors became notorious for their nihilistic attitudes and bohemian lifestyles

ben leighton 5/22/22 ben leighton 5/22/22

A DIGITAL ALTERNATE REALITY: The art of Maruko Hirofumi

Born in Hiroshima Prefecture, Maruko Hirofumi is a digital artist who took full advantage of the booming digital art wave of the 1980’s to become a master of surreal 3D art that still retains a sense of early computer nostalgia

ben leighton 12/8/21 ben leighton 12/8/21

ERO-GURO NANSENSU

Ero-guro nansensu, was a movement that began in the 1930s and took its name from the English words Erotic, Grotesque Nonsense. It reached into all aspects of Japanese media, culture and art and continues in an adapted form today

ben leighton 10/23/21 ben leighton 10/23/21

TOKYO RUMANDO: I’m Only Happy When I’m Naked

Tokyo Rumando is a provocative, self-taught photographer who originally cut her teeth as a model for Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki

ben leighton 7/21/21 ben leighton 7/21/21

HIROSHI NAGAI: Japan’s Sun-drenched Americana

Hiroshi Nagai developed an oeuvre of Americana pop style paintings that served as a backdrop to the Japanese City Pop movement of the late 70s and 80s

ben leighton 7/20/21 ben leighton 7/20/21

Manabu Koga’s UNDERWATER GIRLS

Manabu Koga is an innovative Japanese photographer creating incredible results through a combination of his experience in underwater photography and his passion for mecha

ben leighton 6/6/21 ben leighton 6/6/21

SHIGERU MIZUKI: An illustrated guide to Yokai

Shigeru Mizuki, born in Osaka in 1922, was a prolific manga artist often regarded as the master of Japanese Yokai (monster) stories

ben leighton 5/24/21 ben leighton 5/24/21

KINGYO-BU: the goldfish club

In 2012, the KINGYOBU (“goldfish club”) transformed phone booths in Osaka into standing aquariums, providing a visual break from the monotony of city life