NEW YORK, NY.- Howard Greenberg Gallery will present Kenro Izu: Mono no Aware – The Beauty of Impermanence from September 27 through November 22, 2025. The exhibition features luminous works by master printer Kenro Izu who has spent 50 years photographing sacred spaces worldwide. The exhibition coincides with the publication of a limited edition two-volume slip cased book
Mono no Aware (Nazraeli Press, September, 2025). A reception and book signing with the artist will be held on Saturday, September 27 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., along with a live calligraphy demonstration Nishina Keisho whose work is incorporated into some of Izu’s art.
No. 25, 20x24 Kuuya Fall, 2023. Gelatin silver print, 20 x 24 inches.
The term mono no aware (the pathos of things) expresses the Japanese concept of appreciating the transient beauty of life and objects. The project focuses on three subjects: 14th-century Japanese Noh masks; the stones and trees that surround the remains of ancient shrines; and the wildflowers and grasses that bloom briefly near Izu’s home. Izu invites viewers to encounter the depth of his subjects through lustrous images that explore impermanence and refined aesthetic through three ideas: yugen (mystical and profound), sabi (beauty with aging), and wabi (austere beauty).
The gelatin silver and platinum palladium prints on view are uniquely matted using antique silverleaf recovered from historic folding screens and trimmed with fabrics taken from vintage kimonos, making every work a one-of-a-kind fusion of photographic artistry and Japanese heritage.
No. 28, Yugao, 2024. Gelatin silver print, 20 x 28 inches
“Art and life are intertwined for me and my thoughts have often turned to the notion of beauty as understood in both Western and Japanese contexts. Encounters with Noh masks sparked a deep curiosity in their human expressions, a fascination that intensified with time. The gaze of the masks seemed to penetrate one’s inner being, reminding me that to observe is also to be observed,” states Izu. “My exploration of Noh extended to its origins, rooted in Shinto traditions and the Jinja shrines of Japan. I was drawn particularly to shrine forests, where sacred trees, rocks, and dense spiritual groves evoke a sense of timelessness. During the COVID-19 lockdown, my focus shifted to nearby subjects—wildflowers and grasses arranged in clay vases made from locally sourced materials. The fleeting beauty of their unnoticed bloom and decay resonated deeply with me. I continue to be reminded of how daily life and environment shape artistic creation.”
Kenro Izu was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1949. While studying art at Nihon University in Tokyo, he visited New York and ultimately chose to reside there at the age of 21. In 1974, Izu established the Kenro Izu Studio in New York City. Beginning in 1979, he embarked on livelong project photographing the world’s Sacred Places, utilizing a 14×20-inch film camera to create platinum prints that capture subtle nuances and evoke the spirituality of locations in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, England, Scotland, Mexico, and France.
No. 29, Dahlia, 2020. Gelatin silver print, 20 x 28 inches.
Izu has published 16 books, including Sacred Places (Arena Editions), Bhutan: Sacred Within (Nazraeli), Territories of Spirits (Skira), Seduction (Damiani), and Eternal Light (Steidl). He is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His work has been exhibited at museums internationally including Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.; Kiyosato Photographic Museum, Yamanashi, Japan; and Fondazione Fotografia Modena, Modena, Italy, among other museums and galleries across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
In addition to his photographic pursuits, Izu founded the not-for-profit organization
Friends Without a Border in both New York and Tokyo after witnessing the effects of poverty and inadequate healthcare among children during his photography trips to Cambodia in 1993. Friends Without a Border established the Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC) in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in 1999, which has since provided medical care to over two million children. In 2015, Izu and Friends Without a Border opened the Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, offering free and compassionate healthcare to children in Laos.
No. 34, Hanase, 2023. Gelatin silver print, 20 x 24 inches
Izu moved back to Japan in 2021 and continues to inspire countless others by using the arts to achieve humanitarian goals.
