Shigeo Anzaï, Yayoi Kusama, Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, October 1992.
Photo: Courtesy the artist, Zeit-Foto Salon, Tokyo, and White Rainbow, London.

On May 18, the London-based gallery White Rainbow will open “Index II,” dedicated to the phenomenal oeuvre of Japanese photographer Shigeo Anzaï.

“Index II”—which follows its predecessor “Index I”—will again offer UK audiences unprecedented access to Anzaï’s portraiture. The exhibition will bring together nearly 50 images of famous international artists whom Anzaï came into contact with during his long career, including Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Richard Long, and Daniel Buren.

Shigeo Anzaï, Shigeo Anzaï, Daniel Buren, Daniel Buren’s Show, ICA Nagoya, Aichi, April 14, 1989.
Photo: Courtesy the artist, Zeit-Foto Salon, Tokyo, and White Rainbow, London.

The photographs that will be exhibited in the show were taken over a period of 30 years across Tokyo, New York, London, and other European cities, tracing a personal and idiosyncratic account of key artistic movements from the second half of the 20th century.

Shigeo Anzaï, Damien Hirst, Venice Biennale, June 11, 1993.
Photo: Courtesy the artist, Zeit-Foto Salon, Tokyo, and White Rainbow, London.

Shigeo Anzaï, Richard Long, London, December 4, 1991.
Photo: Courtesy the artist, Zeit-Foto Salon, Tokyo, and White Rainbow, London.

Born in Kanagawa in 1939, Anzaï began his artistic career as a painter, before turning to photography in the late 1960s.

In 1974, after having established himself as the key photographer of the Japanese art movement Mono-ha, Anzaï traveled to London, where he met a new generation of younger British artists such as Bridget Riley and Michael Craig-Martin.

In 1978, Anzaï received a fellowship allowing him to live in New York for a year. There, he photographed performances at The Kitchen, which at the time was the city’s most experimental and avant-garde art space. That’s where he also came in contact with artists such as Bill Viola and Laurie Anderson. Back in Europe, he went on to photograph exhibitions such as documenta in Kassel and the Venice Biennale.

“Index I,” Anzaï’s first solo exhibition at White Rainbow and in the UK (see images below), focused on his role documenting the landmark exhibitions, events, and happenings of the avant-garde art scene in 1970s Japan.

Shigeo Anzaï, Richard Serra, The 10th Tokyo Biennale ’70–Between Man and Matter, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. May, 1970.
Photo: Courtesy the artist and White Rainbow, London.

The exhibition had a particular focus on the 1970 10th Tokyo Biennale, during which he assisted the artists Carl Andre, Daniel Buren, and Richard Serra. Following this, Anzaï began documenting their performances, happenings, and installations, and his stunning photographs are, in some cases, the only lasting remnant of these important art historical works.

Shigeo Anzaï, Christo, The 10th Tokyo Biennale ’70—Between Man and Matter, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. May, 1970.
Photo:Courtesy the artist and White Rainbow, London.

Shigeo Anzaï, Lee Ufan, Tamura Gallery, Tokyo. January 21, 1970.
Photo: Courtesy the artist and White Rainbow, London.

Shigeo Anzaï, “Index II” will be on view at the gallery White Rainbow, London, from May 18-June 18, 2016.