To mark the opening of its new space, IRIS ARLES is presenting the exhibition “Family of Lies” by Japanese photographer Hajime Kimura.
Kimura is known for his works, which create a striking contrast between powerful black-and-white images and blurry images that seem to emerge from memory. He has produced these in multiple series, such as this one featuring Japanese hunters known as “Matagi,” the racehorses in “Track,” or his reflection on his late father in “Snowflakes Dog Man.”
This exhibition, “Family of Lies,” focuses on his own family.
Since childhood, he has harbored complex feelings toward his family. He came to form a false image of them and to tell stories blending reality and fiction. After his parents’ death, he would even speak to others as if they were still alive.
At the same time, however, he explores his own family (particularly his parents, who died when he was still young) and his family memories as themes in his work.
Why, even though he considers his family a “source of shame,” is he at the same time deeply drawn to them and their story? Can he bring everything out into the open and put an end to these mounting lies?
Kimura has channeled this introspection and determination into his series “Family of Lies.”
This exhibition features landscapes photographed during revisits to the sites of his family trips, as well as small details from his home, alongside images from family albums that Kimura has reworked.
The memories of a particular family—the clothes and bodies etched into the images—provide us with small clues that spark our imagination about them.
In other words, his images—without being tied to a collective memory or a broader historical context—remain confined to the personal sphere, thereby creating an autobiographical space.
Furthermore, this exhibition features numerous works that use images transposed onto mirrors or mirror paper; the viewer’s silhouette—or that of the artist himself—is reflected in the works, adding an extra layer of depth to the relationship between the real image and the virtual image.
Regarding his series on his family, Kimura explains that for him, it is a process of healing and coming to terms—through the lens of family—with the fact that his parents have passed away.
“Family of Lies” invites you to discover his world, which depicts a family’s conflicts, as well as its reconstruction and rebirth.
