shashasha

In the nearly one hundred years since Alfried Stieglitz’s Equivalents, photographers have created works and images that reflect their times. Collectively, they have shaped the current landscape of contemporary photography. Their approaches and subjects have varied, of course - some have created an antithesis to the world around them, others have pursued the expression of ideas previously deemed unthinkable. In the form of photographic prints and books, their work continues to exist today as a crystallization of their artistic vision.

Atelier Ricken Backer is a space and community for photographers to come together and create. The majority of our artists belong to a younger generation, born in Heisei-era Japan and now growing up in the Reiwa period.
I find great meaning in their visual language and their choice of subjects. What are people in their teens and twenties curious about or suspicious of? How do they navigate the relationship between individual and society, and how do they converse with the world through photography?

The role of the artist remains crucial as society changes and transforms in ever new ways. As new possibilities and values continue to emerge, photography proves to be a powerful tool for engaging, documenting and shaping our world. It is our hope that Atelier Ricken Backer can serve as a cornerstone for this evolving dialogue.