Ken Domon
photographer
Ken Domon (1909–1990) was a celebrated Japanese photographer known for his work as a photojournalist and as a photographer of Buddhist temples and statuary. He began his career in the 1930s contributing to magazines that supported the militaristic Japanese state, but later criticized propaganda photography. After being forced out of government service, he became a freelance photographer and was a leading figure in the realistic photography movement (Riarizumu Shashin Undō). Domon is renowned for his documentary work on the aftermath of World War II, specifically his portraits of children in exploitative labor conditions and survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His monumental series 'Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples' (Koji Junrei) documented thirty-nine temples across Japan using color film. He was a significant mentor to younger generations of photographers and received numerous national awards for his humanist vision.
- Buddhist temples
- post-war realism
- atomic bomb survivors
- Japanese culture
Books
Works by Ken Domon
- 1958 Hiroshima Eponymous volume including 130 pages of photographs and 46 pages of notes.
- 1963 Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples (Koji Junrei) Published in five volumes from 1963 to 1975.
- 1972 Bunraku Documenting traditional Japanese puppet theater.
- 1995 The Half Life of Awareness: Photographs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Exhibition catalogue featuring works by Domon and others.
Exhibitions
- 1981 What Now!?: Japan through the Eyes of Shōmei Tōmatsu
- 1992 Sakura + Plastics
- 1999 Traces: Fifty Years of Tōmatsu's Work
Awards
- 1958 Mainichi Photography Award
- 1958 Photographer of the Year Award