A Rabbit’s Foot The girls who reframed Japanese images

Dahmani expresses, above all, that this exhibition is greater than only a tribute to the nice girls of a single nation’s historical past, however an act of pressing reclamation. 

Our dialog turns to the world’s present infatuation with Japanese tradition, together with the worldwide surge of curiosity in photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, who obsessively fetishized the feminine physique in his work, and whose topics have, over time, been publicly vocal concerning the exploitative nature of their shoots collectively.

“There’s a lot of international fascination with Japan, and for good reason—an incredibly rich culture, a fascinating history.” Dahmani says. “But I’ve noticed that fascination is often seen through the objectification of women. Today, in 2026, in a world where sexism and fascism is rising once more, there is a renewed urgency to discuss and spotlight women photographers. We’re being shown once again how fragile our society’s perspective on simple ideas like “gender equality” actually are. And how they nonetheless have to be considered in a acutely aware manner.” 

Japanese Women Photographers from the Fifties to Now is now open for viewing at The Photographers’ Gallery till twenty seventh September 2026. Find out extra here.