CREATURES
2016.8.23. tue.– 9.17. sat.
12:00-19:00/Tue-Fri 12:00-17:00/Sat
Closed on Sun and Mon
The Third Gallery Aya is pleased to announce a solo show titled “CREATURES” by ABE Jun.
He has been photographing creatures in zoos and aquariums since the late 1980s, when he was concluding his series Citizen.
This is his first exhibition in a long time, following his show in 1989 at the Picture Photo Space.
Artist Statement for the series Citizen, 1979–1983
Creatures in zoos and aquariums live in artificial environments. When I was toward the end of a series of photographs of people in urban settings, it struck me that human beings living in cities are in similarly artificial environments. That was my motivation for working on this series until 1989.
In that sense, I believe that while the two projects may operate in different dimensions, this series of photographs of creatures in zoos and aquariums is similar in spirit to the earlier series portraying human beings.
Abe Jun
Biography
| 1955 | Born in Osaka, Japan |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Graduate of Department of Photography, Osaka Shasin Senmongakko (currently Osaka Visual Arts) |
| 1982 | Work for the Butoh Dance Group ‘Byakkosya’(-1994) |
| 1983-86 | Organize the Shashin Jyuku |
| 1986-1988 | Be staff of Little Gallery |
| 2006 | Organize the Publisher named VACUUM PRESS |
| 2013 | Awarded the 25th Shashin-no-kai Award |
| Lives in Osaka, Japan | |
Selected solo exhibitions
| 2025 | 1983+early works. Akuta, Kyoto, Japan |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Black and White Notebooks. Studio 35 minuites, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2018 | Byakkosha. The Third Gallery Aya, Osaka, Japan |
| 2017 | Photo Letters. The Third Gallery Aya, Osaka, Japan |
| 2016 | 1981. Gallery 722, Okayama, Japan CREATURES. The Third Gallery Aya, Osaka, Japan 1981. Visual Arts Gallery, Osaka, Japan |
| 2013 | Awarded Exhibition of Shashin-no-kai Award-Citizens, Black & White Note and Black & White Note2. Place M, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2012 | Citizens/1983. Gallery Niepce, Tokyo, Japan CITIZENS. The Third Gallery Aya, Osaka, Japan |
| 2006 | Black & White Note; Box. gallery 10:06, Osaka, Japan |
| 2004 | CITY. Visual Arts Gallery, Osaka, Japan |
| 2002 | Black & White Note. Visual Arts Gallery, Osaka, Japan |
| 1998 | Infinite-point. COSMO GALLERY, Osaka, Japan |
| 1997 | Citizens. COSMO GALLERY, Osaka, Japan Stray Child Theory. COSMO GALLERY, Osaka, Japan |
| 1989 | Citizens. Picture Photo Space, Osaka, Japan Creatures. Picture Photo Space, Osaka, Japan |
Group Exhibitions
| 2022 | The Wild Eighties. Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Animails. Vacuum Gallery, Osaka, Japan |
| 2018 | Chihei/Horizon. Case, Tokyo, Visual Arts Gallery, Osaka |
| 2015 | Fascination of Monochrome Street Snapshots. Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography Nara City, Nara, Japan The 2nd Photographers Brigade Without Borders. Hatten Gallery, Osaka, Japan |
| 2014 | Foto Istanbul 2014. Istanbul, Turkey |
| 2007 | The 30th anniversary Photo Street-Super Session. Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe, Japan |
| 1997 | The 20th anniversary Photo Street-Super Session. Himeji City Museum of Art, Himeji, Japan |
| 1995 | Views from Japan. Tucson, AZ |
| 1994 | Creatures. Kathleen Ewing Gallery, Washington D.C. |
| 1984 | Photography Now. Osaka Prefectural Contemporary Art Center, Osaka, Japan |
Art Fair
| 2021 | Art Osaka 2021. Osaka City Sentral Public Hall, Osaka, Japan |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Paris Photo 2018. Grand Palis, Paris, France |
| 2017 | ART in PARK HOTEL TOKYO 2017. PARK HOTEL TOKYO, Tokyo, Japan daikanyama photo fair 2017. Daikanyama Hillside Forum and Hillside Plaza, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2016 | daikanyama photo fair 2016. Daikanyama Hillside Terrace, Tokyo, Japan |
| 2014 | Art Osaka 2014. Hotel Granvia Osaka, Osaka, Japan |
| 2013 | Paris Photo 2013. Grand Palais, Paris, France Art Osaka 2013. Hotel Granvia Osaka, Osaka, Japan |
Publications
| 2021 | Black & White Note 3. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2002. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS 2002 Naha,Koza. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2019 | Civil Society. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS Chihei/Horizon Vol.12. Tokyo: Case Publishing |
| 2018 | 2016(top). Osaka: VACUUM PRESS 2016(bottom). Osaka: VACUUM PRESS Chihei/Horizon Vol.11. Tokyo: Case Publishing |
| 2017 | New York. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2016 | 1981 Kobe. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2015 | 1981(top). Osaka: VACUUM PRESS 1981(bottom). Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2014 | Pusan. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2013 | 2001. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2012 | Black & White Note 2.Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2011 | MANILA. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2010 | Black & White Note. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2009 | Citizens. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 2007 | Osaka. Osaka: VACUUM PRESS |
| 1993 | HORIZON. Osaka: Osaka Syashin Senmon Gakko |
| 1989 | Creatures. Village Press |