Somewhere not Here
*Special hours for opening day (Nov 4): 16:00–20:00
Wed 16:00–22:00
Thu–Sat: 13:00–19:00
Sun: 13:00–18:00
Closed: Mon, Tue, and National Holidays
Introduction
POETIC SCAPE is proud to present “Somewhere Not Here,” the third solo exhibition by Toshiya Watanabe. In this body of work, Watanabe seeks to scoop images from the depths of his consciousness and translate them into photographs. Within his depictions of real landscapes—the sea, the city, and vegetation—tangible reality dissolves, existing “not here, but somewhere else.” His images hold a delicate balance of instability and beauty, from the heavy, stagnant air in the valleys between buildings to the dazzling light cresting over hills.
In his 2013 solo exhibition 18 Months, Watanabe drew from memory to explore the transformation of his hometown following its evacuation after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. In contrast, the series Somewhere Not Here takes society itself as its subject. He focuses on the ambiguous sensations that drift beneath the surface of daily life: a disturbing shift in the world’s atmosphere, a sense of unease, and an uncertain hope.
These photographs peer into the currents of modern society—a river where unexplored hope glimmers on the surface while unfathomable anxiety accumulates at the bottom.
Profile
- Toshiya Watanabe
Born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1966. While a student at Tama Art University, he was selected for “20 Promising Young Photographers”, an exhibition organized by PARCO.
His series documenting his hometown of Namie, Fukushima—designated a no-entry zone following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident—was widely featured in international media, including Le Monde (France) and THE BIG ISSUE (Taiwan), receiving significant attention.
In 2016, he received the STEIDL BOOK AWARD JAPAN along with seven other photographers, and in 2019 won the Hariban Award Special Jury Prize (selected by Martijn van Pieterson & Annemarie Zethof). His solo exhibitions include 18 months and THROUGH THE FROZEN WINDOW (both at POETIC SCAPE).
His first photobook, Somewhere not Here, was published in 2021, followed by Beyond what you see in 2024, co-published by the (M)éditions (France) and IBASHO (Belgium).
