The first session provides a brief overview of Japanese photography since 1945, focussing on influential trends, movements, and groups such as VIVO and Provoke.

Ishiuchi Miyako (b.1947) stands as Japan’s most prominent female photographer, celebrated for her impressive career that includes representing Japan at the Venice Biennale in 2005, receiving the Kimura Ihei Photography Award in 1979 and the esteemed Hasselblad Award in 2014, and showcasing her art in solo exhibitions at renowned museums worldwide. This lecture delves into her body of work, offering an in-depth examination of select series spanning from the 1970s to the present.

Ishikawa Mao (b.1953), renowned for her deeply personal portrayal of life in Okinawa, shines a light on the US military presence and marginalised communities. As both a photographer and activist, she immerses herself fully within the lives of the people she captures. This session looks at the impactful work and its socio-political context.

Active as a photographer since the late 1960s, Nishimura Tamiko (b.1948) has captured scenes of everyday life in post-war Japan, as well as moments from her travels. Her lyrical and dynamic body of work remains underappreciated both within Japan and internationally, deserving greater recognition. This session focusses on her skilful work.

Yanagi Miwa (b.1967) is a contemporary artist best known for highly stylised, digitally manipulated photographic series that often focus on women. Sawada Tomoko (b.1977) has created conceptual self-portraits that explore female identity, gender roles and social conformity. This session focusses on their staged photographs of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Emerging from a period where women were mostly associated with being photographic subjects rather than artists, the late 1990s movement of "girls photography“ drew attention to young women who claimed ownership of their bodies and narratives. This session introduces the diverse works and careers of the three artists who shared the 2001 Kimura Ihei Photography Award — Japan’s most prestigious photography award, which had previously almost exclusively been given to men.

A number of partial bursaries covering 50 per cent of course fees will be awarded on a first come basis. Applicants who wish to be considered for a partial bursary should submit a statement (max. 500 words) to projects@tpg.org.uk, outlining how Japanese Photography Reconsidered would contribute to their professional development. Successful applicants will be notified within a week of submission. 

We actively encourage applications from groups who are currently underrepresented in the cultural sector in the UK. This includes people who identify as D/deaf, disabled* and neurodivergent; those with caring responsibilities; candidates from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds; and arts and culture professionals whose career development has been negatively impacted by Covid-19, prioritising independent artists, freelancers and those made redundant/at risk of redundancy since 2020. 

*The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Sharing that you are disabled will not be used in any way in judging the quality of your application.

Dr Lena Fritsch is an award-winning curator and writer, dividing her time between London, UK and Berlin, Germany. A specialist in Japanese photography and an experienced translator, Fritsch has published monographs on the work of Ishiuchi Miyako (2026) and Morimura Yasumasa (2008), and the first English-language overview on post-war Japanese photography, Ravens & Red Lipstick: Japanese Photography since 1945 (Thames & Hudson, 2018/2024). Her extensive curatorial career has seen her work at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; Tate Modern, London; and Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie, Berlin. She has orchestrated over 15 exhibitions, including Tokyo: Art & Photography at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (2021), which garnered numerous 5-star reviews. In 2022, she co-curated the Roppongi Crossing Triennial of contemporary Japanese art at the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. Fritsch has taught at the University of Oxford and University of London, and lectures regularly at museums. She holds a PhD in Art History from Bonn University, Germany and also studied at Keio University, Tokyo.