From Our Windows: Rinko Kawauchi & Tokuko Ushioda

Two major figures of Japanese photography come together in this dual show, exploring each artist’s rumination on home, family, and the everyday.

From Our Windows brings together two major figures of Japanese photography from different generations: Rinko Kawauchi and Tokuko Ushioda. Adapted from an exhibition first presented at KYOTOGRAPHIE in 2024, this dual presentation explores each artist’s reflections on home, family, and the everyday.

Born in 1972, Kawauchi began photographing her family to preserve its memory. Motherhood profoundly transformed her perspective, sharpening her sensitivity to the cycles of life. In as it is (2020), delicate images from the early years of her daughter’s life, paired with poetic texts, capture the quiet simplicity of existence through the changing seasons. A slideshow of Cui Cui, a collection of earlier photos of her family taken over a 13-year period, will be shown alongside it.

Born in 1940, Ushioda presents two series that she rediscovered in 2019 while clearing out her family home. My Husband (1978–1985) tenderly records the ordinary moments of early parenthood. ICE BOX (1981–ongoing) centres on an old refrigerator as a witness to the evolution of domestic life over two decades.

Presented in dialogue, each of their shows capture the passage of time as told through the spaces and people they hold most dear. Since its warm critical reception in Kyoto, From Our Windows has since travelled to Japan House São Paulo in 2025, and will arrive at the Rencontres d’Arles this summer.

Taking place in the heart of the city at VAGUE, the exhibition marks KYOTOGRAPHIE’s third consecutive year participating in the Arles Associé program, marking the festival’s growing international presence and commitment to bringing Japanese artists to the world stage.

Outline

Exhibition Title

From Our Windows
Rinko Kawauchi as it is + Cui Cui
Tokuko Ushioda ICE BOX + My Husband

Exhibition Period

6 July 2026 – 20 September 2026

Venue

Vague (Arles) France

Address

14 rue de Grille 13200 Arles, France

Opening Hours

9:30 – 19:30 (6 July – 30 August)
9:30 – 19:00 (31 August – 20 September)

Admission

€10

Artists

Rinko Kawauchi & Tokuko Ushioda

Organiser

KYOTOGRAPHIE

Scenography

Hiromitsu Konishi (miso)