Zen Foto Gallery is pleased to present Yang Seung-Woo’s exhibition “Baggage” from January 12 to February 3, 2024. This exhibition commemorates the publication of his photobook under the same title. When Yang saw homeless people on the streets carrying their belongings with great care, he imagined that their baggage would reveal everything about their lives. He started a project to interview and photograph their portraits and personal belongings. He has interviewed over 60 people to date and together with Yang we have compiled the body of work into a photobook. The exhibition will feature a selection of colour photographs included in the publication. On January 13, 2024, at 3 pm, independent curator Suganuma Hiroshi will be invited as a guest speaker to give a talk with the artist on his photography career and the story behind the project “Baggage”.

“I always thought that the baggage they carry is filled with things that represent their lives.
But when I looked inside, it wasn’t the way I expected. It seems like the baggage itself is something very important.
It’s their travelling companion in life, and sometimes, their pillow.”
—— Yang Seung-Woo

Artist Profile

YANG Seung-Woo

Born in Korea, Seung-Woo Yang first came to Japan in 1996. After graduating from Nippon Photography Institute and the photography department of Tokyo Polytechnic University, he completed his graduate research in Media Art at Tokyo Polytechnic University and continued his career in Japan. In 2016, his publication “Shinjuku Lost Child” with Zen Foto Gallery, a monochrome street photography series which focused on the people at Kabukicho, Shinjuku received the 36th Domon Ken Award. He also released “End of the Line - Kotobukicho” with Zen Foto Gallery in 2017 and had his solo exhibition in inbetween gallery, Paris, expanding his activities internationally. His other publications so far include “You’re there and I’m here” (Shinpusha, 2006), “You’re there and I’m here 2” (Zen Foto Gallery, 2011), “The Best Days” (Zen Foto Gallery, 2012), “The Best Days” new edition (Zen Foto Gallery, 2019), "The Last Cabaret" (Zen Foto Gallery, 2020), "Yang-Taro Baka-Taro" (Zen Foto Gallery, 2021), "TEKIYA" (Zen Foto Gallery, 2022) and "Baggage" (Zen Foto Gallery, 2023).

Publications & Prints

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Baggage

YANG Seung-Woo

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TEKIYA

YANG Seung-Woo