久保田博二：摄影家

Magnum master and global traveler Hiroji Kubota's photographic career is summarized in a monumental work containing hundreds of images, spanning the continents of Asia and Europe, along with interviews totaling thousands of words. This provides us with a diverse range of perspectives for viewing the world.

Kubota effortlessly traversed multiple locations including China, North Korea, Japan, the United States, Vietnam, India, and Cambodia, always maintaining a sense of present reality with his direct and candid approach. Through his lens, he confronts reality head-on, presenting the modern world's past and future without judgment. Like a skilled archer, Kubota's arrow is already in the target before the bowstring has even finished releasing.

Whether walking through America in the 60s, traveling through North Korea in the 80s, or roaming the bustling streets of Hong Kong through China's rapidly transforming 80s, to reaching the grand square of the Potala Palace, Kubota's perspective is grounded in the present and possesses a vivid historical insight. He is able to capture the beauty, cruelty, simplicity, and complexity of the world we live in.

Editor's recommendation:

Hiroji Kubota, Magnum's first Japanese member and the first foreign photographer approved for large-scale shooting in China. In his over fifty years of professional career, he has traveled the world, chronicling social civil strife and blending in different cultures with his personal chronicles.

This monumental work, the product of his photographic career, spans over 500 pages and offers insight into Kubota's almost every significant project, from reporting on the Black Panther Party in the mid-60s to his unparalleled journey through North Korea and covering China, Southeast Asia, and Japan. He purposefully explores various social issues and significant events, without judgment or avoidance, with his short-range methodology in confronting reality, presenting a more vivid image of the present world.

Content summary:

In his over fifty years of professional career, Magnum photographer Hiroji Kubota has extensively traveled around the world and documented its surroundings. From reporting on the Black Panther Party during the mid-60s to his unparalleled journey through North Korea, Kubota has recorded the history and current events of different cultures worldwide. This visual biography incorporates his life's most exceptional works, covering nearly all his significant projects and several related articles that provide thought-provoking insights, making it an outstanding example of learning about Kubota's photographic legacy.

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"Kubota's exceptional photos are direct and genuine, needing no explanation. His skill lies in observing, not in trickery, recording instead of judging." - Elliott Erwitt, (former Magnum president and famous photographer)

Throughout most of his professional career, Kubota has been concerned with global events, from the civil rights movement in the United States during the mid-60s, the Vietnam War, and China's transformation to his exclusive coverage of North Korea and his love for his home country Japan. Kubota and his camera have witnessed the significant changes and events that have occurred in the past fifty years, demonstrating his acute insights through his photographs. He uses his world language-photography- to provide a unique perspective that is unavailable elsewhere. - Mark Lubell (executive director of the International Center of Photography in New York)

Kubota is a product of influences, experiences, and cultures, yet his own culture remains a normative force. His flawless photos to Zen archery will align the attitude, motion, and technique, where the beauty is adequately appreciated due to the influence on the soul. Like a skilled archer, Kubota's arrow is already on target before the bowstring has finished releasing. - Alison Nordström (scholar, writer, curator)

作者简介

久保田博二（HirojiKubota，1939年出生于东京）他的摄影生涯开始于1961年协助玛格南摄影师勒内·布里、伯特·格林和艾略特·厄威特在日本的拍摄报道。成为玛格南摄影师后，他拍摄了大量关于美国、日本、中国、朝鲜、韩国和东南亚的作品，出版了许多画册，主要有《中国》（1985）、《从海到闪亮之海：美国肖像》（1992）、《走出东方：亚洲的转变与传统》（1997）、《日本》（2004）和《早春的中国》（2023）。他的作品在世界各地展出，包括纽约国际摄影中心、华盛顿特区科科伦艺术馆、北京故宫及佛罗伦萨旧宫博物馆。