Katsura Villa, in Kyoto, Japan, holds an almost magical spell over those fortunate enough to visit it, and Ishimoto has captured many of its most enchanting views. The exhibition will feature stunning Mondrian-like interiors, such as Shokintei Tearoom and the Old and Middle Shoins. Also on exhibit will be a detail of the Roof of the Imperial Gate, a zen-like pathway of stepping stones leading up to the Villa, and a view of rooftops that appear like ripples on a pond.

Yasuhiro Ishimoto has made more than just architectural photos of Katsura. Combining a cool and minimal elegance learned at the Chicago Bauhaus (the Institute of Design) between 1948 and 1952 with a deeply felt poetic humanism, Ishimoto demonstrates why he is regarded as one of the most important photographers in Japan. Although born in San Francisco in 1921 and artistically trained in Chicago, he has lived in Japan for the past forty years, and in 1996 was named a “Person of Cultural Merit” by the government of Japan.