Gallery Cantelmo is proud to present The Pearlette Age by Japanese photographer Kiyoshi Niiyama. This exhibition displays photos which were taken between 1934 – 1953. The exhibition runs from September 15 until October 9, 2009. There will be a special opening reception held with the son of the photographer on September 15, 2009 from 6-8 PM.

Photographed during war times in Japan, these images consistently portray natural objects and landscapes with the focus on pictorial subjects. These works were made with cameras used by amateurs of the time, but the techniques applied in the processes of photography, film developing, and paper printing show the craftsmanship and quality of the work. The title of the show, The Pearlette Age, is derived from the camera types used most frequently by Niiyama in this period. Pearlette cameras were developed by the predecessor to Konica, and are widely recognized as the first mass-produced camera to come from Japan.

Niiyama’s work drew the attention of Dr. Otto Steinert, a leading authority of subjective photography in Europe. Mr. Steinert included Niiyama’s work in his exhibition, “Subjektive Fotografie” in 1984-1985 and toured 7 locations including the USA, Germany, Belgium, and Sweden.

Niiyama’s son, who currently operates Gallery Cosmos in Tokyo, has a yearly exhibition of varying Kiyoshi Niiyama work each year. The Pearlette Age has been exhibited in both Tokyo and Berlin numerous times before coming to Gallery Cantelmo.