The National Museum of Art, Osaka is pleased to present a large-scale solo exhibition by the German-born photographer Wolfgang Tillmans (b. 1968).

Tillmans, an internationally active photographer, currently splits his time between Berlin and London. His works, which capture everyday scenes from the artist's own surroundings, first began to attract attention in the early 1990s and came to be widely known after appearing in publications such as i-D and Interview. The distinctive motifs Tillmans used as subject matter included portraits of young people on the street and his close friends. He also became recognized for dealing with contemporary issues such as sexuality and gender, and combining personal and social elements. Since then, Tillmans, who has sometimes attempted to capture the spirit of the age through photography, has displayed an unchanging attitude.

Also highly aware of the exhibition space, Tillmans' innovative installations, consisting of variously sized photographs, many without frames, that are displayed in a freewheeling manner, making it seem as if the images are swimming, have proven to be extremely influential.

In the recent photo book Neue Welt (New World), Tillmans presents events that occurred around the world and scenes that he witnessed while traveling through various countries as a group of images. The work, an attempt to expresses his views on a wide range of concerns related to our planet, including political and economic issues and technological advances, can be seen as a new development in the artist's practice.

Having received Britain's Turner Prize, one of the most prestigious honors in the contemporary art world, in 2000, and scheduled to receive the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography, presented to photographers who have displayed outstanding achievements, later this year, Tillmans continues to exert a tremendous influence as a leader in contemporary photographic expression.

This eagerly awaited solo exhibition, Tillmans' first at a Japanese museum in eleven years, will be held exclusively at the National Museum of Art, Osaka. Housed in a display space designed by the artist himself, the exhibition will include new works appearing in Japan for the first time, numerous photographic works from recent years, and a video installation titled Books for Architects, consisting of two projections, which caused a sensation when it was shown at the the Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition last year. While striving to remain contemporary, Tillmans' work presents us with the reality of the society we live in.