Eikoh Hosoe's photo collection "Embra" is a book that occupies an important place in the history of Japanese photography.
This work can be considered the culmination of Eikoh Hosoe's exploration of the fundamental themes of "life" and "sexuality" that lie deep within the human psyche.
Hosoe has pioneered experimental photographic expression through collaborations with artists of the same era, such as "Man and Woman," modeled on the butoh dancer Tatsumi Hijikata, and "Ordeal by Roses," modeled on Yukio Mishima. His conceptual works had a major impact on the recognition of postwar Japanese photography around the world.
This book is one of Eikoh Hosoe's masterpieces, published in 1971. As the photographer himself said, "If 'Ordeal by Roses' is a pact with the unknown, and 'Kamaitachi' is a pact with memory, then 'Embrace' is a pact with myself," this work is filled with his own deep introspection. It took 10 years to complete from conception to completion, and he is so confident in this work that he says he has overcome the challenge that had long troubled him: "surpassing the works of Bill Brand (※1)." It can be said to be a monumental book that shows Eikoh Hosoe's artistic achievement.
*1: Bill Brandt's photo collection "Perspective of Nudes" (1961)
[Title] Embrace
[Publisher] Photo Criticism
[Publication date] May 1971 (first edition)
[Number of pages] Unpaginated
[Size] Approx. 38.0 x 26.5 x 2.5 cm (external dimensions), 1.40 kg
[Format] Hardcover
[Title reading] Houyou
[Authors/Editors] Eikoh Hosoe/Author/Design, Yukio Mishima/Preface, Tatsumi Hijikata Akiko Motofuji/Model
[Printing] Nissha Printing
[ISBN]
[Condition] Used, average condition for its age (box discolored, slightly damaged, slightly stained, small stains on three sides, small stains inside the text)
[Accessories] Box
[Books featured]
[Related Exhibitions]
Eikoh Hosoe
Born on March 18, 1933 in Yamagata Prefecture.
After graduating from the technical department of Tokyo College of Photography (now Tokyo Polytechnic University), he became a freelancer.
He currently serves as director of the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts.
Passed away on September 16, 2024.
