Discover connections that transcend space and time through the lens of Iwane Ai, one of the two featured photographers in the exhibition Kyotographie: KawadaKikujix Iwane Ai.

Transnational identity is a central theme in Iwane’s work including her award-winning series Kipuka, which explores the cultural ties between Fukushima, in Japan’s northeastern Tōhoku region, and Japanese immigrant communities in Hawaii.

Iwane began the Kipuka project in 2006 by documenting the traditions of Hawaii’s Japanese immigrant communities, including immigrants whose roots trace back to Fukushima. Among these traditions is the summer Bon dance festival, during which participants honour their ancestors through dances performed at Buddhist temples across the islands – the highlight being the high-energy Fukushima Ondo.

These encounters later led Iwane to Fukushima following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of 2011, where she began photographing communities navigating the long path of recovery and reconstruction.

The talk also introduces Iwane’s later project, A New River, created during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which Iwane photographed cherry blossoms at night across the Tōhoku region alongside figures drawn from local folklore.

Through these projects, Iwane reflects on her creative process, fieldwork and ongoing practice, concluding with an introduction to her ongoing project, My Cherry which is also set to be published as a photobook.

The exhibition Kyotographie: KawadaKikujix Iwane Ai is on display in the Gallery at Japan House London from 3 June until 18 October 2026.

Please note that filming and / or photography may take place at this event. Photos and footage of the event may then be used to promote Japan House London, helping more people to discover what we offer. If you have any concerns, please contact us online or contact a member of the team on site.

 

About the speaker

Iwane Ai

Iwane Ai (b. 1975) began taking photographs while at high school in the United States, returning to Japan in 1996 to pursue a career in photography. In 2006, she started work on the series Kipuka, which explores Japanese immigrants in Hawaii and their relationship with Fukushima in Japan’s northeastern Tōhoku region. Her work continued in Tōhoku in 2020 with A New River, a complex study of overcoming grief. In this series, she captured cherry trees in bloom, with no one to view them, at a time when communities around the world were forced into isolation.
Iwane was awarded the 44th Kimura Ihei Photography Award (2019) and the 44th Ina Nobuo Award (2019) for her photobook Kipuka (published in 2018) and related exhibitions. She is also the recipient of the New Photographer Award at the 37th Higashikawa International Photography Festival (2021) and the 3rd Prix Pictet Japan Award (2022).

---

Admission Free | Booking Recommended