Mitsuru Sakurai Solo Exhibition
“imu”
July 24 – August 29, 2026
Venue: Sho+1
12:00 – 18:00
/ Closed on Sundays, Mondays and Public Holidays
Summer Holidays：August 9 – 17, 2026
Organizer: Sho+1
Producer: plana inc.
[Related Exhibition]
July 10 – July 19, 2026
Venue: BAU SHIBUYA
Organizer: plana inc.
Sho+1 is pleased to present “imu,” the second solo exhibition by Mitsuru Sakurai on view from July 24 (Fri) to August 29 (Sat), 2026.
An opening reception will be held on July 23 (Thu) at 6pm.
Following his early work Fe and BP, a series themed around family, Sakurai has once again turned his gaze toward the existence of the “self.” In this exhibition, he will present a new series that confronts the fundamental questions of “seeing/being seen” and “presence/absence” through self-portraiture.
Drawing inspiration from the concept of Hibutsu (hidden Buddha statues) in Buddhist philosophy, he explores the nature of existence, which is transformed through the act of observation. Through photographic expression that overlays multiple perspectives and temporalities, he presents the fluid instability of a self that is present, yet remains impossible to fully capture. With this exhibition, Sakurai aims to provide an opportunity for viewers to question the very act of “seeing” itself.
We look forward to your visit to the gallery.
Artist Statement
Following my early work Fe and the family-focused BP, I found myself creatively adrift. Within that void, the point to which I ultimately returned was the “self.”
This project draws inspiration from Buddhist philosophy. The Buddha is, at its core, an absolute truth; a Buddhist statue is merely its physical manifestation. In the past, Hibutsu (hidden Buddhas) were concealed from public view, holding profound significance simply through their quiet existence.
In these hidden Buddhas, I observed a quantum-like state in which existence changes according to whether it is observed.
Namely, until it is seen, it undeniably exists within human consciousness. The very moment it is observed, it collapses into an object of perception.
By layering multiple perspectives and temporalities, this work captures the fluctuation of the self—an entity that is “present, yet absent.”
It presents an existence that is simultaneously multifaceted and singular: a truth offered in its unobserved state.
Mitsuru Sakurai
Artist Profile
Mitsuru Sakurai
Born in Tokyo. Graduated from Tokyo Zokei University in 2003. In the same year, he joined amana inc. and was assigned to AURA, where he began working as a retoucher in 2006. He went independent in 2011 and has since worked extensively in advertising, architectural, and product photography. In 2014, he established MSPG Studio in Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. He has served as a part-time lecturer at Tokyo Zokei University since 2023. Using photography as his primary medium, he continuously questions the nature of “existence” and the “self.”
Awards
2002 Konica Minolta Photo Premio Winner
2014 Prix de la Photographie de Paris（PX3） Nature/wildlife category Gold medal
2016 Graphis Photography Annual 2016 ‘Series Gold’
2019 IPA (International Photography Award) Architecture/Industrial 1st Place
2021 Tokyo TDC Annual Awards 2021 Prize Nominee Works
2023 Sony World Photography Awards 2023 Professional Architecture & Design category Shortlist
Past Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions：
2022 “BP” Sho+1, Tokyo
2020 “Fe” 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo
2021 “Fe” 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo
Group Exhibitions：
2025 “Between Scenes” Sho+1, Tokyo
2022 “Illusion of Reality” GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS FOAM CONTEMPORARY, Tokyo
2022 “ART FAIR TOKYO 2022” Sho+1, Tokyo
2019 “IPA (International Photography Award) Best of Show exhibition – curated selection” New York and others
Mitsuru Sakurai
Instagram：@mitsuru.sakurai_photo
Website：http://www.mspg.xyz/
Exhibition Overview
Mitsuru Sakurai “imu”
Organizer : Sho+1
Producer : plana inc.
Date：July 24 (Fri) – August 29 (Sat), 2026
Time：12:00 – 18:00 / Closed on Sundays, Mondays and Public Holidays
Summer Holidays：August 9 – 17, 2026
Venue：Sho+1
※Opening Reception
July 23 (Thu) 6pm – 8pm
The artist will attend the reception.
【Related Exhibition】
Mitsuru Sakurai “imu”
Date：July 10 (Fri) – July 19 (Sun), 2026
Organizer：plana inc.
Hours：12:00–18:00 ※Until 4:00 PM on the final day
Venue：BAU SHIBUYA
Address：1-4-22 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0041
Access：A 13-minute walk from JR Shibuya Station, a 9-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station and Tokyo Metro Meiji-Jingumae Station
URL：https://www.kuwasawa.ac.jp/baushibuya.html
