Naito, Tadayuki (1941 - Present)
Tadayuki Naito was born in Tokyo in 1941. Miles Davis and jazz music captured his mind at the young age of 17. He started taking photographs of leading jazz musicians and their live stage performances in his early 20s. In 1970, he set up his own company, Photohouse OM, and published a photo book on Terumasa Hino, a trumpet player of his generation. One of his life-long interests has been to interpret the world of jazz music visually and to capture photographically the powerful performances of musicians. Naito also made extensive trips to Africa, Asia, and America, and took innumerable photographs from his unique standpoint. The results of these trips were combined to create the famed photo series The Songs of Africa (Tokyo Shibunsha, 1982) and Zebra (Joho Center Tokyo, 1988). These images have been developed into exhibitions, publications and motifs in graphic design and textiles. His well-known work includes Sakura-Cosm (Tokyo, Switch Shoseki Shuppanbu, 1990) and Synchro Vibes (Tokyo, JICC Shuppankyoku, 1991). He has created and published many CD covers and portraits of musicians and celebrities, including Miles Davis.
Contemporary Japanese and East Asian Art
Ronin Gallery’s Contemporary art collection challenges the boundaries of tradition and innovation through the work of Japan's greatest contemporary artists and tomorrow’s most promising talents. Featured in museum exhibitions worldwide, contemporary Japanese and East Asian artists are pushing limits and exploring fresh techniques across mediums and styles. For many of the contemporary artists in this collection, inspiration sparks from an interweaving of old with new. Many combine traditional themes, tools, or materials with technology, contemporary themes, or innovative techniques. This hybrid expression is distinctly contemporary and unremittingly vital. From the Pop art legacy of the Shinohara’s to the foremost master of Japanese tattooing, Horiyoshi III, this collection of contemporary Japanese and East Asian art spans a wide range of media, including woodblock prints, screen prints, photography, etchings, paintings, sculpture, calligraphy, ceramics, and mixed media artworks.
