Item Description Yamamoto Masao 山本昌男 yamamoto Masao (1957–) — Yamamoto Masao — Signed First Edition Photobook (kiku label, 2025) — Tipped-in Cover Print A signed first edition of Yamamoto Masao, the latest monograph by internationally acclaimed Japanese photographer Yamamoto Masao, published in October 2025 by kiku label to accompany his solo exhibition at Huko, the celebrated photography gallery in Kyoto. This is the standard signed edition, limited to 1,000 copies and already sold out at most retailers in Japan within weeks of release. The book is a quietly luxurious object in its own right. Bound in pristine white cloth over boards, the front cover features a deeply recessed inset into which a sepia-toned portrait of a white owl — one of Yamamoto's signature subjects — is tipped in by hand, giving the cover the tactile presence of a framed photograph rather than a printed image. Inside, 72 pages of A4-variant format (265 × 227 mm) present a carefully curated selection spanning vintage prints from Yamamoto's earlier series to recent work, all reproduced with the highest standard of Japanese photogravure printing by Fujiwara Printing. The book is presented bilingually in Japanese and English, and includes an original essay by huko titled "Echoes of Constructed Space," which traces Yamamoto's artistic philosophy — his enduring theme that "human beings are part of nature," his classical gelatin silver print technique, his embrace of ma (empty space), and his ambition to make photographs that work like haiku. The frontispiece bears the artist's hand-brushed signature in sumi ink together with his red seal, with a protective interleaving sheet still in place to prevent ink transfer. Designed by Suzuki Takahisa of 16 Design Institute and produced by Sudo Kazuya (discovery go inc. / huko), the volume is a meticulously crafted homage to Yamamoto's four-decade career and one of the most beautifully produced Japanese photobooks of 2025. A rare opportunity to acquire a signed, pristine first edition of a title that is already entering the collectors' market. Size Height: 27 cm Width: 23 cm Depth: 1.3 cm Weight 580 g Condition Brand new, unread copy in pristine condition; the artist's hand-signed frontispiece retains its original protective interleaving sheet. Artist Profile Yamamoto Masao (1957–) was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He began photographing at sixteen, later studying painting before turning fully to photography. He is internationally known for his use of classical gelatin silver printing — often further transformed by toning, trimmed edges, and hand-applied paint — which gives his small, jewel-like prints the tactile presence of objects in themselves. His first photobook A Box of Ku was published by Nazraeli Press (USA) in 1996, and he has since held solo exhibitions at Yancey Richardson Gallery (New York), Galerie Camera Obscura (Paris), the Multimedia Art Museum (Moscow), Musée Mallarmé (Paris), and Jackson Fine Art (Atlanta), among many others. His major monographs include A Box of Ku, Nakazora, Small Things in Silence (Seigensha, 2014), and the Bonsai series begun in 2018. Since the late 2010s he has been working from his studio at the foot of the Yatsugatake mountains in Yamanashi Prefecture. NOTICE: The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL, FedEx or Japan Post depending on the situation. It takes about 10 days to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or the delivery company in your country may contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you can answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will be returned to us and it costs more than double the shipping fee for reshipping. We do appreciate your kind cooperation.