“Haizai” | Photographer: Country Ma'am Fujii

After graduating from the Japan Institute of Photography and Film, photographer Country Ma'am Fujii has traveled with camera in hand, exploring the theme of 'photographing time' across Japan and abroad.
Continuing a practice of holding solo exhibitions in a different location each year, Country Ma'am Fujii will present a solo exhibition at the Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography Nara City from Wednesday, January 28 to Sunday, February 1, 2026.

This exhibition takes place at a venue long admired by the artist.
Amidst the layered histories inherent to Nara, the exhibition will showcase Fujii’s vision of 'ruins in a state of constant transformation.'

Landscapes that evolve into something new in harmony with nature.
What is captured is neither the past nor the future, but the very essence of time that once undeniably existed there.

Country Ma'am Fujii has made it a point to hold a solo exhibition in a different location every year.
This is rooted in the belief that not only the works themselves, but also the 'exhibition space' embodies the passage of time.

The Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of Photography Nara City, the venue for this exhibition, holds special significance for Fujii.
To realize an exhibition at the museum, it was necessary—due to the nature of the subject matter—to have the works reviewed directly by the museum director, beginning with arranging an appointment.
With the director’s busy schedule, coordinating dates was far from simple, but the time spent in preparation has become an integral part of this exhibition’s story.

“I hope you will create your own narrative within these works.”

Ruins are not merely remnants of the past.
They continue to transform in the present moment, coexisting with nature. The sense of time you discover within them is unique to each viewer.

There is no single answer or solution.
When the 'time' captured in the photographs intersects with your own memories and perceptions, a new story is born.

We invite you to engage with this exhibition from your own perspective.