Exploring Memories Through Photography: Nozomi Suzuki's 'Slow Glass' Exhibition

Starting from October 3 to October 26, 2025, the Pola Museum Annex in Ginza, Tokyo, will host a remarkable exhibition titled "Slow Glass — The Mirror, the Window, and the Door" by the acclaimed photographer Nozomi Suzuki. This exhibition delves into the profound connection between the principles of photography and the memories encapsulated within objects, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience art that transcends time and perception.

Nozomi Suzuki, who completed her Ph.D. in visual arts at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2022, has carved a niche for herself by embracing photography as a form of expression. She began her artistic journey studying painting at Tokyo Zokei University and later honed her photographic skills through self-study. Recently, her participation in domestic and international exhibitions and residency programs has expanded her creative horizons.

Her work initiates from everyday glimpses of light. Suzuki captures these fleeting moments, transforming them into reflections of past experiences and memories through her unique artistic lens. One of her notable pieces, "Other Days, Other Eyes," part of her window series, utilizes an original technique involving the direct application of photographic emulsion onto the window itself. The resulting images encapsulate a sense of evolving light and space, revealing layers of time that often go unnoticed in our busy lives.

This upcoming exhibition will showcase approximately 15 works, including new pieces centered on the themes of mirrors and doors, alongside the window series. Attendees will be invited to engage with the invisible memories intertwined with light and time, all through Suzuki's insightful perspective.

Exhibition Overview

- Title: Nozomi Suzuki 'Slow Glass — The Mirror, the Window, and the Door'
- Dates: October 3 – October 26, 2025 (Open daily throughout the exhibition)
- Organizer: Pola Orbis Holdings Inc.
- Venue: Pola Museum Annex (3rd Floor, Pola Ginza Building, 1-7-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061)
- Hours: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM (last entry at 6:30 PM). Note: On October 17, entry closes at 6:00 PM (last entry 30 minutes before closing).
- Admission Fee: Free

Please be aware that exhibition details are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. For the latest information, please visit the gallery's website: Pola Museum Annex.

Talk Event

A special talk event featuring Nozomi Suzuki and art historian Toshiharu Ito will take place on October 17, 2025, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Pola Museum Annex. This event is free of charge, and participants are encouraged to visit the gallery's website for more details and registration.

Artist Profile

Nozomi Suzuki was born in Saitama Prefecture in 1983. She graduated from Tokyo Zokei University in 2007 and completed her Master's at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2015. She received her Ph.D. from the same institution in 2022. In 2025, she was awarded the New Artist Award at the 41st Photography Town Higashikawa Awards. Having studied abroad in the UK as a recipient of the Pola Art Foundation Fellowship in 2018, her accolades also include the VOCA Encouragement Prize at the VOCA 2016 exhibition. Over the years, she has showcased her work in numerous solo exhibitions, including the upcoming exhibition at Pola Museum Atrium Gallery in 2024 and multiple group exhibitions in prestigious venues.

Statement

Through photography, I aim to bring to light the memories embedded in everyday phenomena relating to light. Such latent images emerge from various optical effects, including inverted images formed by pinhole projections and reflections caused by light interaction with different surfaces. My approach seeks to visualize these phenomena, offering a fresh perspective on a world often centered around human experience.

The term "Slow Glass" originates from British science fiction writer Bob Shaw's short story collection, "Other Days, Other Eyes" (1966), which describes a fantastical glass that transmits past light with a delay, akin to the fundamental principles of photography that capture moments and reveal images over time.

In a modern context, photography emerged alongside the industrial revolution, shaping our perception through visual devices like windows, mirrors, and doors. Each element plays a vital role in how we perceive and remember our surroundings. This exhibition aims to present memories associated with these familiar boundaries, inviting viewers to recall moments of the past when encountering photography as a medium that connects the present with time gone by.