Mika Ninagawa "Light of Beginnings"

Kawaguchi, Saitama, is where Mika Ninagawa’s artistic sensibility first took shape. Some of the earliest memories that remain vividly alive are the strange figures of carnival sideshows, splashes of koi fish blood, the glow of candy, colorful movie posters and the flicker of streetlights. Among the crowds of local festivals, Ninagawa encountered a world where reality and fantasy seemed to blur together, constantly shifting between the familiar and the uncanny. This sense of wonder and instability became a foundation for the immersive works that continue to draw viewers into the artist’s visual world. This exhibition explores the experiences and memories that have shaped Ninagawa’s creative vision, unfolding in two chapters. The first chapter focuses on photography, including newly unveiled works. Black-and-white self-portraits created over nearly 30 years since the beginning of the career represent an artistic starting point, exploring identity and existence through experimental approaches. The exhibition also presents a series created while documenting the period of facing a parent’s illness and passing. Through these photographs, Ninagawa captures the fragile beauty of everyday moments and the emotions that emerge when confronting loss. In an age when anyone can easily create images, the exhibition returns to the essence of photography: how the world is seen, what is chosen to be captured and what exists within. The second chapter explores family memories that have deeply influenced Ninagawa’s artistic practice. The presentation reveals a more personal side of the creative journey through a reconstruction of a family workspace, textile works by a family member and a new series based on rediscovered family photographs. Together, these works trace the memories and relationships that shaped the artist’s vision. Over three decades of creative practice, Ninagawa has continued to explore new forms of expression while remaining committed to capturing moments that truly move the heart. Returning to the place where the artistic sensibility was nurtured, this exhibition explores the origins of the creative vision through fleeting light, images and memories.