Saru by Yamamoto Masao

Saru ("monkey" in Japanese) brings together the photographic haiku of Masao Yamamoto, a leading figure in contemporary Japanese photography. His work, held in major international museums, is highly sought after by collectors around the world. In this series, developed over more than twenty years, Yamamoto returns each winter to observe the monkeys of Jigokudani Park, set amid snow-covered landscapes, capturing their play, bonds of affection, and moments spent bathing in natural hot springs. His photographs evoke a fragile, contemplative world.

Yamamoto's work will be featured in four exhibitions between June 2026 and January 2027: at the Camera Obscura Gallery, the L'Été Photographique festival in Lectoure, the Rencontres d'Arles exhibition Animal Model, and the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) exhibition Japanese Photography Since 1945.

Saru by Yamamoto Masao. Textuel, February 2026.