Eikoh Hosoe
1933–
Introduction
Eikoh Hosoe (細江 英公, Hosoe Eikō; 18 March 1933 – 16 September 2024) was a Japanese photographer and filmmaker who emerged in the experimental arts movement of post-World War II Japan. Hosoe is best known for his dark, high contrast, black and white photographs of human bodies. His images are often psychologically charged, exploring subjects such as death, erotic obsession, and irrationality. Some of his photographs reference religion, philosophy and mythology, while others are nearly abstract, such as Man and Woman # 24, from 1960. He was professionally and personally affiliated with the writer Yukio Mishima and experimental artists of the 1960s such as the dancer Tatsumi Hijikata, though his work extends to a diversity of subjects. His photography is not only notable for its artistic influence but for its wider contribution to the reputations of his subjects.
Wikidata identifier
Q2564831
Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License . Accessed January 13, 2026.
Introduction
Born 18 May 1933. From 1951 to 1954, Hosoe studied photography at the College of Photography, Tokyo. In 1954, Hosoe began to work as a freelance photographer in Tokyo, and renamed himself Eikoh. From 1960, Hosoe has also worked as a filmmaker in Tokyo. His 1965-68 "Kamaitachi" series was a collaboration with Tatsumi Hijikata, a founder of the butoh dance style. He worked with butoh artists for many years after. Since 1975, Hosoe taught photography at the Polytechnic of Tokyo. In 1977, Hosoe photographed the architecture of Antonio Gaudí in Barcelona, Spain.
Country of birth
Japan
Roles
Artist, photographer, teacher
ULAN identifier
500115535
Names
Eikoh Hosoe, Eiko Hosoe, Eikō Hosoe, Toshihiro Hosoe, 細江英公
Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed January 26, 2026.
