In recent years, an increasing number of Japanese photographers have gone on to receive high acclaim and intrigue in the international fine-art photography market, while their works have been acquired for the permanent collections of major art institutions such as MoMA and Pompidou Center. While the wave of new talent from Japan continues to swell, IMA magazine has been hosting the exhibition series since 2013, with the special support from Panasonic Corporation / LUMIX, to support and foster the new and emerging generation of young photographers who will be the future leaders of Japanese fine-art photography. Welcomed with praise and success every year with venues in Paris, Amsterdam and Tokyo, this year marks the hosting of our seventh exhibition. Looking back at the past seven years, it is remarkable that so many of the photographers who have exhibited works at the exhibition series are gaining recognition worldwide.

Yoshinori Mizutani, who participated in 2013 and 2014, has hosted numerous solo shows in major cities including Antwerp, London, Paris and Beijing, while taking part in international photography fairs and festivals such as “La Gacilly” in France. Additionally this year, Mizutani has been nominated as a finalist for the “Meijburg Art Commission 2017,” hosted by Unseen Amsterdam.

Daisuke Yokota, a participant in the 2014 show, can be safely described as one of the most noteworthy young Japanese photographers of today. Winner of the world-recognized Foam Paul Huf Award 2016 and more, Yokota has become one of the rising stars of the international photography scene.

Satoshi Fujiwara, who participated in 2015, received a request from an opera house located in Berlin in 2016, where he took the helm on the visual-related aspects of their advertising campaign -— leading to his works being displayed across various locales within the city. Fujiwara is currently hosting a solo exhibition at the “Osservatorio,” in Milan, Italy — a space managed by the Fondazione Prada and dedicated to photography and visual-language.

Hideyuki Ishibashi, a participant in our 2017 show, will be participating at a group exhibition held at Le Fresnoy and curated by the Palais de Tokyo in autumn of 2017.

Fumi Ishino, who participated in 2016, plans to publish a photo-collection entitled “Rowing a Tetrapod” in autumn of 2017 through London-based publisher MACK.

Kanako Azuma, who participated in 2016, plans to take part in the “7th Moscow International Biennale of Contemporary Art” in autumn of 2017.

Much to our delight, each of these artists from this exhibition series has become internationally recognized and sought after for their work.

Aside from publishing IMA Magazine, a fine-art photography magazine, the IMA Media Project also undertakes the direction of IMA ONLINE and organizes exhibitions and seminars linked with the contents contained within, centering its activities around the theme of “LIVING WITH PHOTOGRAPHY” and other fine-art photography contents.

In the midst of photography and photographic practices being reshaped by globalization, one of our missions is to provide opportunities for young and emerging photographers both within Japan and abroad. We are dedicated to find and help further cultivate the talent of outstanding young artists by way of our annual portfolio review, “STEP OUT!”. Through this endeavor, this year too we take pride and pleasure in continuing to introduce Japan’s freshest prospective photography talents to the international world of photography.