Tomio Seike

Seike is primarily known for his black and white photographs handprinted in Japan, though he has also made landscapes in colour. His sensitive play on light and composition adds a serenity to his images which defines his style and adds a beauty to scenes of everyday life. Tomio Seike remains one of Hamiltons Gallery’s longest standing represented artists.

 

 

<span class="title">TSZ 161-5, Paris, St Germain des Prés <span class="title_comma">, </span></span><span class="year">1984</span>
<span class="title">TSZ 198-36 <span class="title_comma">, </span></span><span class="year">1984</span>
<span class="title">TSZ 122-32 </span>
Tomio Seike
TSZ 161-5, Paris, St Germain des Prés , 1984
Gelatin silver print
8 x 12 in.
Edition of 22
© Tomio Seike

Seike was first recognised for his portraits of a then-little-known American artist whom he calls only Zoe. He took these pictures over a five-year period from 1982 to 1987 when the two artists were travel companions through Tokyo, London, Paris and New York. Whilst Seike does not reveal which Zoe his subject may be, we do know she went on to be a prominent contemporary, and he leaves it up to us to do the research. 

 

He published his portraits of Zoe with Blitz International, Japan in 1994 and these portraits of the two artists remain some of Seike’s most coveted pictures.