Born in Fukuoka, 1974. Kai graduated from Tokyo College of Photography in 2002. His works take the viewer into the crowds of traditional fighting or sporting rituals all around the world that predate our modern concept of “sport”. By taking a close-up look at human interaction in these traditional settings, Kai’s photographs offer us an insight into the very essence of human life. He participated in group exhibitions at the Daegu Photo Biennale (South Korea, 2016), Taipei Photo (Taiwan, 2018), and the Noorderlicht International Photography Festival (Nederlands, 2019), and has held numerous solo exhibitions in Japan. He won the 28th Society of Photography Award for “Wounded Bears” and “Down to the Bone” in 2016; the 20th Sagamihara photography Award for his book “Down to the Bone” in 2020; and the 45th Nobuo Ina Award for his exhibition “Down to the Bone” at Nikon Salon in 2021.

Publications

2023- "Clothed in Sunny Finery" Zen Foto Gallery,Japan
2020- "Down to the Bone" Shinjuku-shobo,Japan
2016- "Wounded Bears" Totem Pole Photo Gallery,Japan
2013- "Shrove Tuesday" Totem Pole Photo Gallery,Japan


Selected Solo Exhibitions

2023- "Clothed in Sunny Finery" The Third Gallery AYA,Osaka,Japan
2023- "Clothed in Sunny Finery" Zen Foto Gallery,Tokyo,Japan
2021- "Clothed in Sunny Finery" Kanzan Gallery,Tokyo,Japan
2021- "Figures of Fertilities" The Third Gallery AYA,Osaka,Japan
2020- "Down to the Bone" Ginza Nikon Salon,Tokyo,Japan
2020- "Shrove Tuesday & Opens and Stands up" Yartgallery,Seoul,Korea
2019- "Charanga" TOTEM POLE PHOTO GALLERY,Tokyo,Japan
2017- "Opens and Stands up" TOTEM POLE PHOTO GALLERY,Tokyo,Japan
2017- "Human life as understood from the festivals" The Takano Tatsuyuki Memorial Museum,Nagano,Japan
2016- "Wounded Bears" The Takano Tatsuyuki Memorial Museum,Nagano,Japan
2016- "Down to the Bone" TOTEM POLE PHOTO GALLERY,Tokyo,Japan
2015- "Wounded Bears" TOTEM POLE PHOTO GALLERY,Tokyo,Japan
2013- "Shrove Tuesday" Shinjuku&Osaka Nikon Salon,Japan

Selected Group Exhibitions

2021- "This is Our Land" Zen Foto Gallery,Tokyo,Japan
2019- "Noorderlicht International Photography Festival 2019" Noorderlicht Photo gallery,Groningen,Nederland
2018- "Taipei Photo 2018 Chiang Kai-sheki Memorial Hall,Taipei,Taiwan
2018- "Life and Shadow" Niigata-EYA,Niigata,Japan
2016- "Daegu Photo Biennale 2016" Daegu Culture & Arts Center,Daegu,Korea

Awards

2021- The 45th Nobuo Ina Award
2020- The 20th Sagamihara Photography Award
2016- The 28th Society of Photography Award

Books from Keijiro KAI