Koji ONAKA

Born in Fukuoka. Started as a freelance photographer from 1982 in Tokyo. Participated in the image shop "CAMP" in 1982 at Shinjuku, Tokyo. In the period of late '70s to early '80s, many photographers gathered and formed groups and galleries themselves. "CAMP" was one of them which Daido Moriyama was a member until 1981. This period of time is also when the radical chains of subjectivity at shooting and objectivity of the world were tying the photographers' conflicting mind. Onaka, at those days known with 8 x 10 landscape prints, went struggling through the chains himself to get out of it. His sense of colors are full of sentimental and heart warming impressions that were shown in his photographs taken all over Japan and many other foreign countries. His important works are "Seitaka Awadachi-sou no aru machi", "Distance" and "Matatabi". His photo books have been released since 2001 and are very popular. Awarded the The 18th Higasikawa new photographer prize ('02). From 2007, he restarted the gallery "Kaido", regularly has exhibitions and publishes free papers. He continues on to lead one of the cultures of photography.

http://onaka.mods.jp/


1960 　 Born in Fukuoka.
1982 　 Graduated from Tokyo Photograph College　(Tokyo Visual Arts).
　　　　Participated in the gallery (Image Shop CAMP).
1988 　 Opened up the gallery “KAIDO”at Tokyo (It was managed untill 1992.).
2002 　 Participated in the gallery (photographers' gallery) at Tokyo
2007 　 Re opened up the gallery [KAIDO] at Tokyo

<Selected Solo Exhibitions>

2009
"SEITAKA-AWADACHISO/NOGATA" Tanio Musium, Fukuoka

2008
"The Dog in France" Nadar,Osaka

2007
"DRAGONFLY", Chukyo University gallery C ・ Square
"Horse & Cactus- in Mexico" Emon photo gallery,Tokyo

2006
"GARSSHOPPER", ZEIT-FOTO SALON,Tokyo

2005
"Latvia,Spain",Visual Arts gallery,Tokyo
"Le chan de La France",gallery Tosei,Tokyo

2003
"MATATABI", iltempo,Tokyo
"slow boat ＋ ",Visual Arts gallery,Tokyo
"slow boat",photographers' gallery,Tokyo
"MATATABI",ZEIT-FOTO SALON,Tokyo

2002
"Tokyo1984-91/Reaview mirror part",photographers' gallery,Tokyo
"MATATABI no.9",photograpers' gallery, Tokyo
"Reaview mirror part3",photograpers' gallery, Tokyo

2001
"Tokyo Candy Box",PLACE M, Tokyo /Visual Arts,Tokyo/ Shinjuku Nikon Salon, Tokyo
"Another DISTANCE/ Reaview mirror part1", photograpers' gallery, Tokyo

1999-2000
series "MATATABI",,a total of 8 times, 03FOTOS, Tokyo

1998
"Machikage", Studio EBIS Photo Gallery, Tokyo

1996
"DISTANCE", mole,Tokyo/BERG,Tokyo

1993
"Seitaka Awadachi-sou”, Ginza Nikon Salon, Tokyo
series “DISTANCE”, a total of 3 times, 03FOTOS, Tokyo

1988-91
series "Seitaka Awadachi-sou", a total of 32 times, gallery KAIDO, Tokyo

1983
"Seitaka Awadachi-sou no aru machi",CAMP,Tokyo

<Selected Group Exhibitions>

2009
"THE MANILA BOX", Kaida gallery Manila Phillipin
"Voayages", The Japan Foundation ,Paris France /Tokyo Metlopolitan Musium of photography

2007
"RECENT ACQUISITIONS",Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography
"Japan Caught by Camera", Shanghai Musium China

2005
"Takaramono/My precious:Photos and words five contenporary japanese photographers", Yokohama citizens gallery,Yokohama
"The Photography beyond 20 years from Tsukuba Museum of Photography 1985",Sendai Mediatheque, Sendai

2002-3
"BLACK OUT/Contemporary Japanese Photography", The Japan Foundation,Roma,Paris,Tokyo

2002
"Photonesia/Ryukyu-retuzo", Maejima Art Senter,Okinawa
"The18th Higasikawa Photofiesta", Higashikawa Culture Gallery,Hokkaido

2000
"GAW-2",Okikamuro-jima, Yamaguchi

1999
"TONPU", 051gallery, Pusan-South Korea


<Books>

1991　 "Seitaka Awadachi-sou" Sokyu-sha
1996 　"DISTANCE" Mole
2001　 "Tokyo Candy Box" Wize Shuppan
2001　 "hysteric Five : Onaka Koji" hysteric glamour
2003　 "slow boat" Sokyu-sha
2005　 "in-between Latvia,Spain" EU-Japan fest Japan Committee
2006　 "GRASSHOPPER" Tosei-sha
2007　 "DRAGONFLY" Tosei-sha
2008 　"slow boat second publish" Schaden.com
2008　 "The Dog in France" Sokyu-sha
2008　 "1983 Nogata:Echoes of Coal and Steel" Grafica

<Award>

1992 The 4th Shasin-no-kai prize
2002 The18th Higasikawa new photographer prize
2006 The photographic society of japan new photographer prize