Yasuhiro ishimoto photography contest

On show until November 17, 2024, LE BAL presents an exceptional yet relatively unknown figure in French circles: Yasuhiro Ishimoto (1921-2012), a pivotal personality in Japanese photography.

This European premiere, organized in close collaboration with the Ishimoto Yasuhiro Photo Center at the Museum of Art in Kochi, Japan, features 169 rare prints, most of which are vintage and produced by Ishimoto himself. The exhibition delves into the initial decades of his career, spanning Chicago and Japan.

Interned after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese photographer eventually developed his singular style on the streets of Chicago – before taking it back to his native.

Interned after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese photographer eventually developed his singular style on the streets of Chicago – before taking it back to his native.

Won a prize in Young Photographer's Contest by Life Magazine.

Ishimoto's many accolades include winning the Life magazine Young Photographer's Contest (); the Japan Photo Critics Association photographer of the year.

Yasuhiro Ishimoto was a well-known Japanese-American photographer known for his distinct style and contributions to the field of modernist photography.

The exhibition offers a rich array of images from Japan and the United States, dating to the early career of this pivotal figure in modern Japanese photography.

Ishimoto, a notable figure of the 1950s and 1960s, was regarded as “visually bilingual” for merging the formal style of the New Bauhaus with the essence of Japanese aesthetics. Ishimoto’s unique blend of styles stems from his extraordinary journey.

Educated at the Institute of Design between 1948 and 1952, he represents the first generation of Chicago School photographers, influenced by Harry Callah