“I never think that I can capture a certain subject by taking a photograph of it. What is important for me is how deeply I can enter into it, and to what degree I can cause it to reflect me. I want the very act of looking through the viewfinder to be a flesh-and-blood action... I strongly feel that photography can be freer, more open. I believe it is possible to relate to it in a way that encompasses my entire being.”

—— Masahisa Fukase, 1969

By focusing intently on his personal life, Masahisa Fukase carved out a unique place for himself in the history of Japanese photography in the 1960s. While exploring the origins of photography, Fukase developed a major practice among a group of artists associated with what later came to be known as shi-shashin ("I-photography").

Fukase pointed his camera at those in his immediate surroundings, including his wife and family; and while exposing his own private life, he consciously explored the madness that lay deep within himself. This madness led to remarkable and unparalleled works that combined Fukase's loving gaze for his subjects with his carefree sense of humor.

This book "Masahisa Fukase 1961-1991 Retrospective" boasts a substantial assemblage of works, including major Fukase works, such as "Yūgi (Homo Ludence)", "Yōko", "Karasu (Ravens)", "Sasuke", "Kazoku (Family)", and "Bukubuku".

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