Dual Vision: Portraits of Japanese Artists photographed by Father and Son

LOAF (Laboratory of Art and Form) and Benrido are co-hosting the exhibition Dual Vision: Portraits of Japanese Artists photographed by Father and Son, featuring works by photographer Francis Haar and his son Tom HAAR (ACC 1985).

Francis Haar, a photographer and filmmaker who came to Japan in 1940, spent 20 years in Japan during and after World War II. He captured portraits of iconic Japanese artists who helped shape the nation's cultural heritage, including Yokoyama Taikan, Munakata Shiko, and Kitaōji Rosanjin. This collection will be exhibited at Benrido under the subtitle Japanese Artists of the 1950s – Photographs by Francis Haar, featuring 10 pieces from this era.

Meanwhile, Tom Haar, born in Japan in 1941, photographed contemporary Japanese artists in New York in 1971, a time when Japanese artists were making significant strides in the global art scene. His series of 15 photographs, depicting the creative processes and daily lives of artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, and Inokuma Gen'ichirō, will be displayed at LOAF under the subtitle Japanese Artists in New York – 1971, Photographs by Tom Haar.

The two perspectives of father and son, capturing Japanese artists in different times and places, offer a powerful reflection of post-war Japan’s tradition and innovation, as well as the challenges faced by artists working abroad.