Japanese Photographer Kodo Chijiiwa Brings Meditative Journey of Nature and Existence to Kaunas

As part of the recent "Japan Days in Kaunas WA" festival, an exhibition titled "Dialogue with the Flow" by internationally acclaimed Japanese photographer Kodo Chijiiwa opened to the public, offering visitors a deep reflection on time, nature, and the human condition until November 14.

Opened during the "Japan Days in Kaunas WA" festival, which took place from May 13 to 16, 2026, the exhibition Dialogue with the Flow offers a contemplative exploration of the cycles of time, the natural environment, and human existence. On display at the museum until November 14, Chijiiwa’s captured moments allow the individual self to dissolve into natural elements, transforming everyday linear time into an infinite, horizontal axis where past and future coexist.

Born in 1976 in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan, Kodo Chijiiwa launched his international career in Germany in 2008. Over the years, he has developed a deep creative connection with Lithuania. In 2023, he held a prominent solo exhibition at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, after which several of his works were acquired for the museum's permanent collection.

In addition to his creative work, Chijiiwa has been actively involved in international artistic exchanges. Since 2015, he has served as a co-founder of the Yakushima Photography Festival (YPF), a joint Japanese-French initiative. In 2019, he became the first artist-in-residence at BZH PHOTO in France. Today, his photographs are held in prestigious international collections, including the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art in Kaunas, BZH PHOTO and the Basia Embricos Gallery in France, and Art Space M1997 in Japan.

Exploring the Concept of Fūdo

At the core of Chijiiwa’s artistic philosophy lies the Japanese concept of fūdo—the understanding that climate and physical environment are not merely external surroundings, but an intrinsic, inseparable part of human life experience.

Through his camera lens, the artist explores the quiet space between presence and absence, striving to visualize an invisible energy—one that can only be felt when a person stops acting and allows the environment to take shape around them.

The photographs presented in Dialogue with the Flow emerged from Chijiiwa’s personal experience with the "state of flow." Immersing himself in elements like rain or the ocean, he views himself not as an active agent, but as an object influenced by external natural forces.

"Standing before a stormy sea, enveloped in rain, I perceive myself as a passive being; the scale diminishes, and time becomes horizontal," Chijiiwa explains.

In this mental and physical state, the cyclical movement of the environment—water falling as rain, joining rivers, flowing into the sea, and returning to the earth—draws the viewer into a deeper reflection. By capturing moments of profound stillness, the exhibition aims to harness a vast vital energy, encouraging a dialogue with the deeper layers of human consciousness in an increasingly fast-paced world.

The exhibition "Dialogue with the Flow" is open to visitors at the museum until November 14, 2026.

Introductory photo by Andrius Aleksandravičius. Other photos courtesy of Teodoras Biliūnas and Sugihara House Museum.

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