Births and Rebirths

In the 1960s photographer Kishin Shinoyama was the Japanese equivalent of David Bailey—a media star known for his iconic images of the celebrities of the time. Born in Tokyo in 1940, at the age of three Shinoyama underwent ordination rites to be a Buddhist priest. At the age of 10 he was given his first camera and was so taken with it he built his own working darkroom. His exhibitions Birth (1968) and Nude (1970) soon established his unique, fluid and daring approach to photography. As active an artist in his seventies as he was as a young man, Shinoyama is showing vintage and color work for the first time in the UK at Michael Hoppen Gallery in London from January 14 to February 20.