Roadside Lights
* The artist will be at the gallery on March 9-11.
GALLERY HOURS | Thu.–Sat. 11:00–13:00, 14:00–19:00
CLOSED | Sun–Wed., National Holidays
*Depending on COVID-19, the exhibition period and the content may be changed.
Cooperation: Case Publishing
Akio Nagasawa Gallery Aoyama is pleased to present 'Roadside Lights', a solo exhibition by Eiji Ohashi.
Ohashi was born in Wakkanai City, Hokkaido in 1955. Born and raised in northern Japan, he was fascinated by the beauty of desolation under severe environments such as winter and visited countries around the Himalayas from his late 20s.
This exhibition will feature new works from his project Roadside Lights, which began in 2008. This project spotlighted "scenery with vending machines" - a common landscape in Japan - and has been photographed throughout the country, especially in winter. "The vending machine here is the equivalent of a modern person, visualizing loneliness and hope,” says the artist.
At the venue, previous publications of his works will be available for sale. We are looking forward to your visit.
Artist statement
One night 14 years ago, I was driving my car through a snow storm. That involved the experience of being clueless as to where exactly I was amidst the white-out, but then knowing my location thanks to the lights of a familiar vending machine. Ever since that night, vending machines have been playing for me an important role, like windows through which I can see the world.
A vending machine looks somewhat lonely as it stands there alone in the street. But we have become so accustomed to this sight that we don’t even take notice, and this fact inspired me to identify the situation of the vending machine with that of the contemporary human individual. Vending machines continue to stand where they are and wait for customers, even in the heaviest rain or snow. The sight of them struck a chord with me, as it seems to be visualizing fragments of my own lost memories.
What the glorious vending machines are also making visible to me, in addition to my own activities in times past, are my hopes and expectations. Their lights guide me to what feels like a bright and hopeful future. Just like the vacuum cleaners of Jeff Koons, vending machines may be the ultimately pieces of modern art.
Artist
Eiji OHASHI
大橋英児
Born in Hokkaido in 1955 Kyoto University of the Arts Graduate School of Art, Department of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts(MFA)
In 2008, started the project “Roadside Lights” with vending machines.
The reason why I take a photo of a vending machine is that it will make us see hope and inspiration when we see shiny things in the middle of a dark night.also most of my theme revolves around a vending machine in the middle of a snow storm
Published in many media such as CNN, BBC, SPIGEL.
[Selected Solo Exhibitions]
2023 “Roadside Lights” AKIO NAGASAWA Gallery, Tokyo
2018 “Roadside Lights” Marianne Cat Gallery, Marseille
2018 “Roadside Lights” Case Tokyo, Tokyo
2018 “Roadside Lights” Case Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2017 “Roadside Lights” Galerie&c0119, Pars
2017 “Roadside Lights” Zen Photo gallery, Tokyo
2017 “Existence of” Epson imaging gallery, Tokyo
2016 “Roadside LightsⅣ” KONIKA MINOLTA Plaza, Tokyo
2015 “Roadside LightsⅢ” KONIKA MINOLTA Plaza, Tokyo
2014 “Roadside LightsⅡ” NIKON SALON, Tokyo
2013 “Roadside Lights” Continental gallery, Sapporo
2013 “Roadside Lights” KONIKA MINOLTA Plaza, Tokyo
2011 “Roadside Lights〜Light in a wayside” Continental gallery, Sapporo
2011 “Roadside Lights〜Light in a wayside” I.P.C Tokyo Hiro, Tokyo
2007 “Silk Road〜Afterimage of a relief” Fuji film photo salon Tokyo, Tokyo
[Selected Group Exhibitions]
2021 Sapporo Parallel Museum, Sapporo
2021 Photograph Town Higashikawa Prize-winning artist outdoor photo exhibition, Higashikawa
2021 Sapporo Art Exhibition "After Dark" Sapporo Art Museum, Sapporo
2018 #28 — NI'HOMME - SUMMER GROUP EXHIBITION, Belgium
2017 in print, out of print Photo Books Nara City photo art museum, Nara
2017 RAIEC WAVE Mirage Gallery, Kobe
2016 RAIEC Tokyo 331 Art Chiyoda, Tokyo
2014 “DARK ROOM MEETING2015” Continental gallery, Sapporo
2014 “Expressed picture Hokkaido” Continental gallery, Sapporo
2012 “Living with photography” I.P.C Tokyo Hiro, Tokyo
[Awards]
2018 Higashikawa International Photo Festival Special Photographer Prize
2017 2017 Photo-eye Best Books
2017 Critical Mass Top50
Publication
Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter (A)
Eiji Ohashi’s winterly landscapes with vending machines.
“Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter” is a follow-up to Eiji Ohashi’s critically acclaimed photographic series of vending machines along roads throughout Japan. The volume focuses exclusively on scenes taken during winter, with volumes for spring, summer and fall to be released as well.
“The vending machines placed all over the country are a symbolic image of today’s Japan, and their lonely, daily work is reminiscent of the modern lives of us humans. In this sense, my series is a conscious reflection of its era, but it is also an expression of my own personal aesthetic sensibilities,” says Ohashi.
“I believe the sight of these vending machines shining brightly, all alone in the harshness of winter, evokes feelings of compassion and encouragement in us. These bright, glowing characters are mechanical machines, but they also appear strangely human, and the beautiful sceneries that surround them may even provide us a little hope.” －from Eiji Ohashi’s afterword (available in Japanese and English translation)
With its large format and considerable weight, the photobook “Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter” gently recalls the weight and size of the vending machines in Ohashi’s photographs. The leporello-style bookbinding allows the book to spread out into an instantaneous mobile exhibition as well.
Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter (B)
Eiji Ohashi’s winterly landscapes with vending machines.
“Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter” is a follow-up to Eiji Ohashi’s critically acclaimed photographic series of vending machines along roads throughout Japan. The volume focuses exclusively on scenes taken during winter, with volumes for spring, summer and fall to be released as well.
“The vending machines placed all over the country are a symbolic image of today’s Japan, and their lonely, daily work is reminiscent of the modern lives of us humans. In this sense, my series is a conscious reflection of its era, but it is also an expression of my own personal aesthetic sensibilities,” says Ohashi.
“I believe the sight of these vending machines shining brightly, all alone in the harshness of winter, evokes feelings of compassion and encouragement in us. These bright, glowing characters are mechanical machines, but they also appear strangely human, and the beautiful sceneries that surround them may even provide us a little hope.” －from Eiji Ohashi’s afterword (available in Japanese and English translation)
With its large format and considerable weight, the photobook “Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter” gently recalls the weight and size of the vending machines in Ohashi’s photographs. The leporello-style bookbinding allows the book to spread out into an instantaneous mobile exhibition as well.
Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter (C)
Eiji Ohashi’s winterly landscapes with vending machines.
“Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter” is a follow-up to Eiji Ohashi’s critically acclaimed photographic series of vending machines along roads throughout Japan. The volume focuses exclusively on scenes taken during winter, with volumes for spring, summer and fall to be released as well.
“The vending machines placed all over the country are a symbolic image of today’s Japan, and their lonely, daily work is reminiscent of the modern lives of us humans. In this sense, my series is a conscious reflection of its era, but it is also an expression of my own personal aesthetic sensibilities,” says Ohashi.
“I believe the sight of these vending machines shining brightly, all alone in the harshness of winter, evokes feelings of compassion and encouragement in us. These bright, glowing characters are mechanical machines, but they also appear strangely human, and the beautiful sceneries that surround them may even provide us a little hope.” －from Eiji Ohashi’s afterword (available in Japanese and English translation)
With its large format and considerable weight, the photobook “Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter” gently recalls the weight and size of the vending machines in Ohashi’s photographs. The leporello-style bookbinding allows the book to spread out into an instantaneous mobile exhibition as well.
Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter (D)
Eiji Ohashi’s winterly landscapes with vending machines.
“Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter” is a follow-up to Eiji Ohashi’s critically acclaimed photographic series of vending machines along roads throughout Japan. The volume focuses exclusively on scenes taken during winter, with volumes for spring, summer and fall to be released as well.
“The vending machines placed all over the country are a symbolic image of today’s Japan, and their lonely, daily work is reminiscent of the modern lives of us humans. In this sense, my series is a conscious reflection of its era, but it is also an expression of my own personal aesthetic sensibilities,” says Ohashi.
“I believe the sight of these vending machines shining brightly, all alone in the harshness of winter, evokes feelings of compassion and encouragement in us. These bright, glowing characters are mechanical machines, but they also appear strangely human, and the beautiful sceneries that surround them may even provide us a little hope.” －from Eiji Ohashi’s afterword (available in Japanese and English translation)
With its large format and considerable weight, the photobook “Roadside Lights Seasons: Winter” gently recalls the weight and size of the vending machines in Ohashi’s photographs. The leporello-style bookbinding allows the book to spread out into an instantaneous mobile exhibition as well.