Kosuke (*1986, Japan) consciously positions his photographic practice within the tension between homage, memory, and reinvention. Strongly inspired by artists such as Man Ray, Mario Giacomelli, Daido Moriyama, and André Kertész, he draws from iconic visual languages and classical photographic concepts without merely quoting them. Instead, Kosuke approaches the history of photography as a living material that can be continued, layered, and transformed.
At the core of his work is the analogue technique of multiple exposure. Rather than functioning as purely technical experiments, his photographs become dense emotional spaces in which different moments, perspectives, and atmospheres merge into one another. Reality and memory, observation and imagination overlap to form dreamlike compositions that feel at once quiet, poetic, and subtly unsettling. Despite their layered complexity, the works always preserve the distinctive materiality and quiet dignity of analogue photography.
The series “WARNING”, presented in this exhibition, unfolds a peculiar world suspended between melancholy, absurdity, and silent tension. Recurring figures of idle cats wander through urban scenes, fragmented landscapes, and almost cinematic situations. They appear like detached observers within an altered reality, lending the images both lightness and ambiguity. The title “WARNING” deliberately contrasts with the quiet poetry of the works, opening a space for uncertainty, interpretation, and emotional contradiction.
Kosuke’s photographs resist a singular reading. Rather than functioning as documentary images, they evoke fragile spaces of memory in which past, present, and imagination continuously overlap. It is precisely through their slowness and openness that the works gain their particular intensity, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in their subtle shifts and emotional nuances.
The exhibition takes place from October 1 to October 24, 2026, at Never Stop Reading Bookstore, Spiegelgasse 18, 8001 Zurich.
Opening reception: Thursday, October 1, 5–7 pm
