Tomio Seike: Eighty

26 Jan-11 Mar 2023

SZ 161-5, Paris, St Germain Des Prés, 1984, 1984, Vintage, toned gelatin silver print, printed November. Credit: © Tomio Seike

Overview

Tomio Seike: Eighty features a selection of unique, platinum palladium prints and vintage, toned gelatin silver prints. The subjects include portraits of artist Zoe Leonard which was one of Seike’s first series. His intimate photographs, taken as they travelled through Tokyo, London, Paris and New York, give a rare insight into her youth and the series bought him significant recognition as a photographer. The exhibition also presents Seike’s later works of figurative nudes, along his other series such as ‘Paris’ and ‘Waterscapes’, which enhanced his reputation as a contemporary master working in a classical style.

Tomio Seike was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1943. After graduating from The Japanese Photographic Academy (1970), he went on to work freelance in fashion and portraiture before moving to England. Seike has since moved back to his native country and continues to hand print his works in Japan. 

Primarily known for his black and white photographs, he has also made landscapes in colour. His sensitive play on light and composition adds a serenity to his images which defines his style and adds beauty to scenes of everyday life. By expertly balancing the abstract and traditional, using only natural light, he manages to capture the quiet moments in life most people fail to notice. These exquisite small format prints further highlight the intimacy of the scenes he captures, drawing the viewer closer to absorb every detail.

Seike’s oeuvre is widely recognised and featured in numerous international collections. His work has been exhibited throughout Europe, Japan and The United States, and reside in a number of private and public collections including; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris Tate Modern, London and the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris amongst others. 

Tomio Seike remains one of Hamiltons Gallery’s longest standing represented artists.

Artists