The “LUMIX MEETS BEYOND 2020 BY JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHERS” project was started in 2013 with special cooperation from Panasonic Corp. as a way to support and aid the development of young photographers who have the potential to be at the forefront of Japanese photography. The project involves holding an exhibition in Tokyo and Paris that has, for the past two years, received widespread acclaim. Now in its third year, the exhibition offers another roster of new artists whose works suggest entirely new possibilities in photography.

The exhibition is organized by the IMA Project, which revolves around the publication of IMA photography magazine. The project’s mission is to study global trends in the photography world to create opportunities for young Japanese photographers to present their work in Japan and abroad. A lot of effort is put into discovering and developing new talent, who are featured in an annual portfolio review called STEP OUT! This year, the IMA Project has, once again, discovered promising artists through STEP OUT! and will promote their unique perspectives throughout the world.

This year’s “LUMIX MEETS BEYOND 2020 BY JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHERS” artists include Kazuto Ishikawa, who presents the multi-layered structure of a photograph in two-dimensional form; Chihiro Ichinose, who creates lyrical works that revolve around the theme of memory; and Satoshi Fujiwara, who is redefining the snapshot. All three have used LUMIX DMC-GX8 cameras to create their works. Three other artists, including one who was chosen from STEP OUT!, will also be featured.

Over the last two years, photographers who were introduced to the world through this project have gone on to accomplish a range of artistic achievements.

Yoshinori Mizutani, who was featured in the past two exhibitions, was selected for inclusion in Talent Call 2014—a showcase of the best young photographers as selected by Foam, a magazine based in an increasingly important center of art photography: The Netherlands. He is expected to hold a number of solo exhibitions around the world. Meanwhile, Kosuke has landed a residency at a Swiss gallery. Last year, his works were displayed at Paris Photo, the largest photography festival in the world. Daisuke Yokota, who was featured in the first exhibition, held a solo exhibition in May 2014 at the Foam Photography Museum in Amsterdam. Other accomplishments of his include his photobook, VERTIGO, being nominated for a Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Award; winning the John Kobal Residency Award at last year’s Photo London; and participating in the “Another Language” exhibition at the Rencontres d'Arles in July 2015. Today, he is one of the most recognized young Japanese artists in the world. Yuji Hamada, meanwhile, participated in the Images photography festival in Vevey, Switzerland, and published a photobook, C/M/Y, through Amsterdam-based Fw:Books.

With interest in Japanese photographers growing in every photography market around the world, today’s young photographers have more opportunities than ever to spread their names and work beyond their home country. Inside this book, you will find works by innovative artists who all possess a lyrical intensity—one that hints at the new generation of artists and photographic expressions to come.