Ronin de Goede "ASAKUSA — Ode to Edo"
Zen Foto Gallery is pleased to present Asakusa — Ode to Edo, Ronin de Goede’s photography exhibition from September 29 to October 21, 2023. Asakusa is a photographic diary of the golden days the Dutch artist spent with the Japanese master tattoo artist Horikazu. Ronin first encountered Japanese tattoos online and became fascinated with Wabori, traditional Japanese tattooing. When Ronin visited Japan in 2011, he knocked on the door of the renowned tattooist Horikazu Shodai, but was disappointed to hear that he was ill in bed. He became friends with his successor Horikazu Waka, and in 2016, Ronin began assisting and taking photographs of Horikazu’s work and him working. For this exhibition, Zen Foto Gallery will present a selection of works from the photobook Asakusa, which was published in 2020, as well as new works made after the release of the publication.
"I am interested in traditional Japanese tattooing for different reasons. There’s the spiritual meaning, the quality of tebori, and the ablance of the artwork as a whole in regards to the physique of the individual “wearing” it — It reflects both their culture and individualism at the same time. "
— Ronin de Goede, August 2023
