Eikoh Hosoe: The Theatre of Memory

Overview

One of the leading figures in post-war and modern Japanese photography, Eikoh Hosoe is renowned for his work that combines elements of theatre, dance, film and traditional Japanese art. The Theatre of Memory is a new exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales that brings together four influential series' of works by Hosoe from the past five decades.

The Butterfly Dream, Kamaitachi and Ukiyo-e focus on the avant-garde Japanese dance form of Butoh which, Hosoe was deeply fascinated by. Also known as 'the dance of darkness', Butoh seeks to explore the hidden, dark side of human emotions. These works prominently feature the two dances often cited with creating Butoh - Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno. The fourth work featured in the exhibition is Embrace, a series of abstract nudes focusing on the purity of human form.