was a Japanese photographer particularly known for his depiction of architecture, gardens, and Japanese crafts.Unless otherwise noted, biographical information is from one or other of Akiko Okatsuka () Nihon shashinka jiten () / 328 Outstanding Japanese Photographers (Kyoto: Tankōsha, 2000; ), p.53; "Iwamiya Takeji", Nihon no shashinka () / Biographic Dictionary of Japanese Photography (Tokyo: Nichigai Associates, 2005; ), pp. 56–58. Despite the English-language alternative titles, both books are entirely in Japanese.
Career Iwamiya was born on 4 January 1920 in Yonago, Tottori, the second son of parents running a shop selling traditional confectionery. An uncle of his ran a commercial photography studio, and this triggered the boy's interest in photography; but as a high school student he was keenest on baseball. After graduation from high school he worked Hankyu Department Store in Umeda (Osaka), where he entered the Mitsuwa photography club (, Mitsuya shashin kurabu), led by Bizan Ueda and Nakaji Yasui. Following success in a photographic contest arranged by Asahi Shinbun, Iwamiya was invited to join the Tampei Photography Club and went on to become an assistant of Yasui's. He joined the Nankai Hawks in 1939 but left after half a year and in 1941 was sent to Manchukuo as a photographer.
Iwamiya returned to [mainland] Japan before the end of the war, and after the war opened a photofinishing shop serving a US base at Sannomiya (Kobe). While recuperating from tuberculosis in 1954, he photographed a mannequin factory nearby in Osaka; these photographs won the gold medal in the second Fuji Photo Contest, and were exhibited in the Matsushima Gallery (, Matsushima gyararī) in Ginza (Tokyo), as Iwamiya's first solo show. He also exhibited in West Germany, and at around this time got to know Ken Domon, who exerted a great influence on him. In 1955 he set up Iwamiya Photos (, Iwamiya fotosu) for commercial photography. Iwamiya's photographs of Sado island were exhibited at the Osaka Fuji Photo Salon and elsewhere in 1956; these would later appear in book form. In 1957, Iwamiya was also among the photographers included in Bessatsu Atorie Atarashii Shashin, a special issue that Ryūichi Kaneko later described as a printed forum in which prewar avant-garde figures such as Kansuke Yamamoto intersected with a younger generation of postwar photographers, including Kiyoji Ōtsuji, Ikkō Narahara, Hisae Imai, and Yasuhiro Ishimoto.
Two of Iwamiya's apprentices went on to be famous photographers in their own right. Seiryū Inoue joined Iwamiya's studio in 1951 and was encouraged by Iwamiya in his photographic work in Kamagasaki. Daidō Moriyama joined Iwamiya's studio in 1959 and was taken under Inoue's wing until Moriyama's departure for Tokyo in 1961.
From 1962, Iwamiya brought out a considerable number of books, mostly depicting Japanese crafts and architecture; several won awards. In 1966 he became a professor of Osaka University of Arts.
Iwamiya died in Osaka on 26 June 1989.
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions "Iwamiya Takeji-ten" (). Fuji Photo Salon (Osaka), Matsushima Gallery (, Matsushima gyararī, Tokyo), 1955.List of exhibitions, Sengo shashin / Saisei to tenkai () / Twelve Photographers in Japan, 1945–55 (Yamaguchi: Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art, 1990), pp. 205–206.List of exhibitions of Iwamiya's works , Osaka Contemporary Art Center. Accessed 5 March 2009. "Sado" (). Fuji Photo Salon (Osaka), Matsushima Gallery (Tokyo), 1956. (Photographs of Sado island) "Hawai" (). Takashimaya (Osaka), Fuji Photo Salon (Tokyo), 1960. (Photographs of Hawai'i) "Katachi" (). Takashimaya (Osaka), Fuji Photo Salon (Tokyo), 1963. "Ankōru Watto" (). Ginza Nikon Salon (Tokyo), 1964. (Photographs of Angkor Wat) "Kyūtei no niwa" (). Sogo (Kobe), 1968. "Expo '70 Iwamiya Takeji shashin-ten" (). Hanshin (Osaka), 1970. "Foto irasutorēshon arufoto""Alphoto", written in katakana as in the title of this exhibition, is a line of photographic chemicals from Fujifilm. The title perhaps refers to this. (). Imahashi Garō (, Osaka), Art Gallery U (Tokyo), 1970. [Title unknown].The source specifies the title (in Japanese script) as Arufoto; see the previous note. Honolulu,The source does not specify the name of the gallery. 1970. "Sumi to sue to watakushi to" (). Pentax Gallery (Tokyo), 1974. "Butsuzō no imēji" (). Takashimaya (Kyoto), Sogo (Hiroshima) 1976. "Mita, totta" (). Naniwa Photopia GalleryName inferred from the Japanese script. (, , Osaka), 1974. "Mita, totta" (). Nikon Salon (Tokyo and Osaka), 1975. (Photographs of Spain and Portugal) (). Imai Gallery (Osaka), 1975. "Hyōkai" (). Shinsaibashi Gallery (Osaka), 1975. (Oil paintings) "Iwamiya Takeji shashin-ten" (). Fuji Photo Salon (Tokyo), 1976. "Butsuzō no imēji" (). Takashimaya (Kyoto), Sogo (Hiroshima) 1976. "Sumi to watakushi to" (). Shinsaibashi Gallery (Osaka), 1977. "Kyō no katachi" (). Asahi Kaikan (Kyoto), 1976. "Iwamiya Takeji shashin-ten" (). Asahi Kaikan (Kyoto and Tokushima), 1976. "Serigurafī to Tapistorī" (). Shinsaibashi Gallery (Osaka), 1977. "Shirukusukurīn ni yoru 'mado'" (). Shinsaibashi Gallery (Osaka and Tottori), 1977. "Works from 30 years". Fuji Photo Salon (Tokyo and Osaka), Wakita Gallery (Nagoya), Tokushima Arts Foundation for Culture (Tokushima), Daimaru (Tottori), Imai Gallery (Yonago), 1977. "Sumi to serigurafi" (). Iida Garō Bekkan (. Tokyo), 1977. "Serigurafu-ten" (). Mingei Garō (, Kurayoshi), Imai Gallery (Yonago), 1978. "Nepāru no katachi" (). Fuji Photo Salon (Osaka), Shinjuku Minolta Photo Space (Tokyo), Kathmandu, 1979. "Indo ni okeru butsuzō, shinzō, megamizō" (). Ban Garow (, , Osaka), 1980. "Mucho Sol: Taiyō ga ippai" (). Canon Salon (Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya), 1980. "Suiboku-ga to insatsu inku" (). Nakamura Garō (, Osaka), 1981. "Sobyō" (). Shinsaibashi Gallery (Osaka), 1981. "Iwamiya Takeji-ten" (). Shinjuku Olympus Gallery (Tokyo), Naniwa Photopia Gallery (, , Osaka), 1981. "Iwamiya Takeji no me: 35-nen no kiseki-ten" (). Minolta Photo Space (Osaka), 1981. "Butsuzō no imēji" () Nagase Photo Salon (Tokyo), 1981. "Iwamiya Takeji-ten" (). Professional Space,Town not specified in source. 1982. "Fotorama no tabi: Indo, Nepāru" (). Fuji Photo Salon (Osaka), 1982. "Yōroppa no hikari to kage" (). Minolta Photo Space (Tokyo), 1982. "Iwamiya Takeji-ten" (). Olympus Gallery (Tokyo), 1982. "Kioku: Yōroppa kikō" (). Minolta Photo Space (Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka), 1982–83. "Butsuzō no imēji" () Osaka, 1982. "Sho, __Reading of unknown. sobyō" (). Shinjuku Olympus Gallery (Tokyo), 1982. "Mitsu no mezotto ni yoru onna shirīzu" (). Chaya Garō (. Osaka), 1984. "Ankōru" (). Ginza Wako Hall (Tokyo), Keihan Gallery of Arts and Science (Osaka), 1987. "Abstraction". Kodak Photo Salon (Tokyo and Osaka), 1987. "The Image of the Buddha". Bijutsu Gyararī Itami (, Itami), 1987. "Portrait". Pentax Forum (Tokyo and Osaka), 1989. "Ima ni ikiru" (). Navio Art Museum (Hankyu, Osaka), 1989. "Iwamiya Takeji-ten" (). Yonago City Museum of Art (Yonago), 1990. "Yomigaeru Borobudūru" (). Nikon Salon (Tokyo and Osaka), 1990. "Ima ni ikiru" (). Fuji Photo Salon (Tokyo and Osaka), 1990. "Iwamiya Takeji-ten" (). Brain Center GalleryName inferred from the Japanese script; town not specified. (, Burēn sentā gyararī), 1996. "Iwamiya Takeji sakuhin-ten: Sengo kara 1970 nendai made no sakka katsudō" (). JCII Photo Salon (Tokyo), 1996. "Iwamiya Takeji: Kekkai no bi" (). Photo Art Gallery, Canon Sales Makuhari head office building (, Kyanon hanbai Makuhari honsha biru Fotoāto gyararī, Chiba), 1996. "Iwamiya Takeji no shashin sekai 1946–1975: Works from 30 years" (). Osaka Contemporary Art Center (Osaka), 2001. "Iwamiya Takeji: Ima ni ikiru" (). Museum of Arts and Crafts, Itami (Itami), 2001. "Iwamiya Takeji no shashin sekai / Ima ni ikiru" (). Osaka Contemporary Art Center (Osaka), 2001. "Takeji Iwamiya: Photo and Drawing Exhibition". Osaka Contemporary Art Center (Osaka), January–February 2007."Takeji Iwamiya: Photo and Drawing Exhibition ", Osaka Contemporary Art Center. Accessed 7 March 2009.
Selection of other exhibitions "Tōkyō dai-ikkai demokurāto bijutsuten" (). Matsushima Gallery (, Matsushima gyararī, Tokyo), 1952. Tanpei 8-nin shashinten" (). Tokyo, 1952. (Work by eight members of the Tampei Photography Club) "Subjektive Fotografie 2". Saarbrücken, 1954–55. "Iwamiya Takeji Horiuchi Hatsutarō-ten" (). Fuji Film Gallery (Tokyo), 1955. Work by Iwamiya and Hatsutarō Horiuchi) "Rokunin-ten / Akiyama Shōtarō, Hayashi Tadahiko, Horiuchi Hatsutarō, Ueda Shōji, Midorikawa Yōichi, Iwamiya Takeji" (). Fuji Film Gallery (Tokyo), 1959. (Work by Shōtarō Akiyama, Tadahiko Hayashi, Hatsutarō Horiuchi, Shōji Ueda, and Yōichi Midorikawa) "Sannin-ten / Akiyama Shōtarō, Nakamura Masaya, Iwamiya Takeji" (). Pentax Gallery (Tokyo), 1969 and annually thereafter. (Work by Shōtarō Akiyama, Masaya Nakamura, and Iwamiya) "Ei-Q to Demokurāto-ten" (). Umeda Kindai Bijutsukan (), 1974. (On Ei-Q and the "Democrat" group) "Butsuzō no imēji-ten" (). Ginza Wako Hall (Tokyo), Amagasaki Cultural Center (Amagasaki), museum of Hongik University (Seoul), 1975. "Sengo shashin / Saisei to tenkai" () / Twelve Photographers in Japan, 1945–55. Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art (Yamaguchi), 1990. "Ueda Shōji to sono nakama-tachi: 1935–55" (). Yonago City Museum of Art (Yonago), 1992. (Exhibition of works by Shōji Ueda and his friends) "Maeda Tōshirō, Itō Tsugurō, Iwamiya Takeji" (. Osaka Contemporary Art Center, March–April 2008. An exhibition of Tōshirō Maeda, Tsugurō Itō, and Iwamiya.Page about the exhibition Accessed 7 March 2009.
Works in permanent collections Works by Iwamiya are in the permanent collections of the following institutions: Canon Marketing Japan; 30 works acquired in the 1990sCV of Iwamiya , Osaka Contemporary Art Center. Accessed 11 March 2009. Osaka University of Arts; 735 works acquired in the 1990s Osaka Contemporary Art Center (Osaka) Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography; 30 works acquired in the 1990sAs denoted by Iwamiya's inclusion within Nihon shashinka jiten, without a disclaimer. Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art (Yamaguchi City); 12 works acquired in the 1990sNorihiko Matsumoto (), ed., Nihon no bijutsukan to shashin korekushon (, Japan's art galleries and photography collections; Kyoto: Tankōsha, 2002; ) . P. 161. Yonago City Museum of Art; 735 works acquired in the 1990s
Books showing Iwamiya's works Sadogashima () / Sado Island. Kadokawa Shashin Bunko 34. Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten, 1956. Black-and-white photographs of Sado island. Captions and text in Japanese only (despite the color photographs and English title on the cover). Nikkō (). Nihon no yashiro (). Tokyo: Bijutsu Shuppansha, 1962. Photographs of Nikkō. Text by Ichirō Hariu () and Toshio Fukuyama (). Katachi: Nihon no denshō (). Tokyo: Bijutsu Shuppansha, 1962. Two volumes. Text by Shūji Takashina (). 1. Ki kami tsuchi () 2. Ishi kane suji take () Sado (). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1962. Photographs of Sado island. Katachi: Japanese Pattern and Design in Wood, Paper, and Clay. New York: Abrams, 1963. London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1964. Text by Donald Richie. Design and Craftsmanship of Japan: Stone, Metal, Fibers and Fabrics, Bamboo. Tokyo: Bijutsu Shuppansha, 1963. New York: Abrams, 1965. Le Japon des formes: Bois, papier, argile. Tokyo: Bijutsu Shuppansha; Fribourg: Office du Livre; Paris: Société Française du Livre, 1963. Text by Atsuko N. Nii and Donald Richie, translation by Edith Combe. Forme giapponesi. Milano, Silvana editoriale d'arte, 1963. Text by Atsuko N. Nii and Donald Richie. Tōshōgū (). Tokyo: Bijutsu Shuppansha, 1963. Photographs of Tōshō-gū. Text by Isamu Kurita () and Kiyofumi Yajima (). Japon, beauté des formes: Pierre, métal, fibres, bambou. Tokyo, Bijutsu Shuppansha, 1964. Die Schönheit japanischer Formen: Stein, Metall, Textilien, Stroh, Bambus. Tokyo, Bijutsu Shuppansha, 1964.