RPS KYOTO PAPEROLES : KENJI CHIGA & MAKI HAYASHIDA EXHIBITION “After all” APRIL12 – MAY 11
RPS KYOTO PAPEROLES is pleased to present “After all”, a photography exhibition by Kenji Chiga and Maki Hayashida, from April 12 to May 11, 2025. This exhibition has been selected as an official KG＋ PICK UP program, featuring newly developed works by the two artists, both recipients of the Singapore International Photography Festival Dummy Book Award. In commemoration of their photobook publications, the exhibition introduces a new conceptual framework expanding upon their existing artistic research.
Chiga and Hayashida have each examined the underlying structures of society through distinct approaches. This exhibition challenges conventional photographic expression, engaging with deeper social frameworks and questioning the unconscious ways in which we participate in them. Through their work, it reveals how two seemingly unrelated societal issues—illegal industrial waste dumping and special fraud—are intertwined and have evolved over time.
Additionally, the exhibition highlights Chiga’s “HIJACK GENI”, published by IANN Books last year, and Hayashida’s “BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS”, the inaugural publication of “ONE AND ONLY EDITIONS”, a publishing initiative launched by Reminders Photography Stronghold with the mission of enabling independent photobook production. These books will be exhibited alongside the works, offering visitors an opportunity to engage with the artists’ projects through their printed publications.
During the exhibition period, we will host artist talks and related events. Details will be announced via social media, so please stay tuned.
RPS KYOTO PAPEROLES: KENJI CHIGA & MAKI HAYASHIDA EXHIBITION “After all” APRIL12 – MAY 11
Title｜After all
Artists｜Kenji Chiga, Maki Hayashida
Venue｜RPS KYOTO PAPEROLES (603 Oimatsu-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan)
Nearest Bus Stops｜Kamishichiken or Senbon Imadegawa
Dates｜April 12 (Sat) – May 11 (Sun), 2025
Closed｜April 21-25 (Please note that the exhibition will be closed during this period.)
Opening Hours｜13:00 – 19:00
Admission｜Free
Inquiries｜paperoles@reminders-project.org
Official Instagram｜@remindersphotographystronghold
◎ Opening Reception / Artist Talk
Saturday, April 12, 2025, from around 1:00 PM
Additionally, there may be talk events held during the exhibition period. Details will be announced as they are confirmed, so please check our SNS for the latest updates.
Curatorial Statement
“After all” is an exhibition that brings together Kenji Chiga and Maki Hayashida, two artists who, despite approaching society from different perspectives, ultimately converge on the same underlying structural issues.
During the 1990s and 2000s, illegal industrial waste dumping was a major source of revenue for Japan’s underground economy. A city worker tasked with addressing this issue investigated the reality of illegal dumping, built relationships of trust with those involved, and successfully led a crackdown that significantly reduced both the number and volume of cases. However, their remark—”Many have now turned to other means to generate profit.”—reveals the deeper fractures within society.
This exhibition examines these shifts through Hayashida’s research on illegal dumping and its environmental and societal repercussions, while Chiga focuses on special fraud and the mechanisms that allow underground networks to adapt and sustain their operations. As legislation and economic shifts eroded existing revenue sources, new methods emerged, ensuring the cycle’s continuation. These structures are not isolated phenomena—they are deeply intertwined with the systems we live within and the actions we take, often unconsciously sustaining them.
By tracing these connections, the exhibition brings into focus the intersection between everyday life and the underworld. The works presented reflect the fractures within society and confront us with our own unwitting complicity.
Both Chiga and Hayashida are recipients of the Dummy Book Award at the Singapore International Photography Festival. Each artist has developed this exhibition based on their recently published photobooks, creating a new framework for presenting their work. By placing these seemingly unrelated themes in parallel, the exhibition encourages viewers to critically examine their own place within these structures. Through layered interpretations and expanded perspectives, the exhibition seeks to serve as a catalyst for deeper reflection on the mechanisms that shape our society.
Yumi Goto / RPS KYOTO PAPEROLES
©︎Kenji Chiga / Hijack Geni
©︎Kenji Chiga / Hijack Geni
©︎Kenji Chiga / Hijack Geni
©︎Kenji Chiga / Hijack Geni
©︎Kenji Chiga / Hijack Geni
©︎Maki Hayashida / BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS
©︎Maki Hayashida / BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS
©Masayoshi Ishiwata / BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS
©Masayoshi Ishiwata / BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS
©Masayoshi Ishiwata / BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS
Artist Profiles
Kenji Chiga
Born in 1982 in Shiga, Japan; based in Shiga and Tokyo. After graduating from Osaka University, Chiga has created works that interweave fact and fiction through photography.
His recent exhibitions include “To begin with, we must try to do things ourselves.” (BUG) and “The Gaze of the Present Contemporary Japanese Photography vol. 21” (Tokyo Photographic Art Museum).
His major awards include the Singapore International Photography Festival Dummy Book Award, Best Emerging Photographer Award at the Dali International Photography Festival, Excellence Award at New Cosmos of Photography, and the Grand Prize at 1_WALL.
Maki Hayashida
Born in 1984 in Osaka, Japan; based in Tokyo. After graduating from Kwansei Gakuin University, she completed an MA in Photography at the University of the Arts London. Her practice focuses on making the structures of society visible through photography.
Her recent exhibitions include the 17th Shiseido Art Egg (Shiseido Gallery) and Takaido Art Festival 2024.
Her major awards include the Singapore International Photography Festival Dummy Book Award and the International Women in Photo Association Award.