Nobuyoshi Araki, Untitled, Painted Photograph, Landscape Nobuyoshi Araki

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Acrylic paint embellished silver gelatin print, signed on back and dedicated by the artist, "FOR JOHN". Photograph depicting a red … Read more Acrylic paint embellished silver gelatin print, signed on back and dedicated by the artist, "FOR JOHN". Photograph depicting a red and yellow oval organic mass at center surrounded by green and blue fields. Unframed

Nobuyoshi Araki, born in Tokyo, Japan 1940, is one of Japan's foremost contemporary artists and one of the world's most controversial photographers. His work has drawn worldwide attention notably for its erotic content, which blurs the lines between art and photography.

He studied photography at Chiba University, before moving on to work at advertising agency Dentsu; here he met and married Yōko Araki. During their married life Araki took abundant images of his wife before she died in 1990; he published Sentimental Journey, 1971 - photographs taken while on their honeymoon, and Winter Journey, 1991 - images taken during her last days, amongst others.

Araki is part of a generation of artists who emerged in the 1960s as Japan was recovering from the Second World War. The extreme growth, urbanisation and overt commercialism influenced him, and can be seen throughout his work, for example karaoke bars, Japanese toys and busy cityscapes often feature. He likewise often reflects Japanese traditions, in both historical and stylised references; his Kinbaku series examines the art of bondage, also seen in 67 Shooting Back.

Known for his diary-like documentation of everyday life, he has gone on to publish hundreds of books, create films, and in recent years photograph musicians Lady Gaga and Bjork.

As one of the most prolific artists worldwide, his photography has been exhibited internationally in both individual and group exhibitions, with works residing in many significant public and private collections including the Tate Modern and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Nobuyoshi Araki’s photographs have won many important awards, including the aforementioned 1964 prize for Satchin, the 1990 Shashin-no-kai prize from the Photographic Society of Japan, the 1991 7th Higashjkawa Prize, the 1994 Japan Inter-Design Forum Grand Prix, and most recently the 2008 Austrian Decoration of Honour for Science and Arts. See less