Seeking Harmony Through Photography and Manual Interventions

ADF (NPO Aoyama Design Forum) is pleased to present "concorde", a solo exhibition by artist Sumi takeshi, as the 33rd edition of the ADF Art Gallery Project, from 30 May to The exhibition will be held from 30 May to 14 June 2025.

The word concorde, meaning “harmony” in French, reflects the artist’s fundamental desire to explore and connect with others through his work. In this exhibition, Sumi constructs an immersive presentation around the theme of harmony, featuring artworks created through a variety of analog techniques—centered on photography. Sumi's creative process involves manually intervening in photographs—piercing them to let light pass through, making slits, or applying embroidery. These gestures are attempts to bridge the divide between the subject in the photograph and himself as the photographer. He regards photography as a medium inherently built on an unequal relationship between the person who captures and the one being captured. His artistic practice questions this structure and seeks to create balance through physical, sensory engagement with the image.

These interventions are not decorative but emerge from his direct dialogue with the subject. Each slit or thread becomes a tangible response to emotional and perceptual changes brought about by those encounters. The result is an expression of what cannot be seen but can be felt—often referred to as an "aura". Sumi allows his body and hands to move beyond his own control, letting unconscious gestures shape each piece.

This exhibition will present not only his signature photographic works but also new explorations that go beyond conventional boundaries. Through these practices, Sumi invites viewers to re-examine the meaning of "harmony" within and beyond the photographic frame. We warmly invite you to discover the tactile and contemplative world of concorde.

Artist Profile | Takeshi Sumi

Born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1981.Graduated from Meiji University (Faculty of Literature) and Tama Art University (Department of Information Design).
Sumi uses photography as his main medium, exploring themes of perception and physical sensation. His artistic approach combines analog techniques—such as embroidery and slits—with photographic images to visualize unseen emotional changes during encounters with his subjects. His works have been widely exhibited in Japan and internationally. He has published two books, “Fly in the Sky” (2012) and “Fingers and Stars” (2019), both by LibroArte. His work is included in the agnès b. collection and has been featured on numerous book covers and commercial visuals. In 2023, he participated in the “Silhouette Family” project, a photographic exhibition exploring LGBTQ+ families in collaboration with Kodomap

Selected Solo Exhibition

• 2025: Les Fantasies – Things That Once Were, node hotel, Kyoto
• 2024: For a Better World, hIDE GALLERY TOKYO, Tokyo
• 2023: Photographs, lost and born, hIDE GALLERY TOKYO, Tokyo
• 2021: halo, BOOK AND SONS, Tokyo
• 2020: Les Fantaisies, Galerie Grand E’Terna, Paris
• 2019: Fingers and Stars, gallery Main, Kyoto / Galerie Grand E’Terna, Paris
• 2016: Existence is beyond the reflection and transmitted light, ShinPukan by gallery Main, Kyoto
• 2015: Lumière et vous, Galerie Grand E'Terna, Paris
• 2011: Light, Port Gallery T, Osaka
• 2010: Meteor, Bright Room Gallery, Tokyo

Art Projects

• 2023: Silhouette Family, collaborative project with Kodomap (LGBTQ+ family-themed photo exhibition)

Selected Art Fairs

• 2024: ONE ART TAIPEI, Taipei / hIDE GALLERY TOKYO
• 2023: ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA, Fukuoka / hIDE GALLERY TOKYO
• 2017: fotofever, Paris / gallery Main
• 2016: Affordable Art Fair, New York
• 2012: no found photo fair, Paris / LibroArte
• 2012: TOKYO PHOTO, Tokyo / LibroArte

Collections

• 2013年 agnès b.

Publications

• 2019: Fingers and Stars, LibroArte
• 2012: Fly in the Sky, LibroArte

Selected Uses of Artwork

• 2023: THE FORWARD vol.6, book cover, Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha
• 2022: Tsukuru Nishida “At the End of Love”, book cover, Gentosha
• 2022: Kotomi Li “While Separated by a Transparent Membrane”, book cover, Hayakawa Publishing
• 2021: Miki Mori “The Gods”, book cover, Kobunsha
• 2020: 20th Anniversary visual for JR Kyoto Isetan
• 2020: Kotomi Li “Polaris-Drenched Nights”, book cover, Chikuma Shobo
• 2020: GUNZO Vol.75 No.1, cover, Kodansha
• 2019: Junjo Shindo “Behaviour”, digital magazine cover, KADOKAWA
• 2018: Rio Shimamoto “Spica for Anonymous”, library edition, Shodensha