© Daisuke Yokota
It actually seems like much longer than 20 months ago that I wrote about Daisuke Yokota’s photos in a post for LPV Magazine 1, if only because his rise since then has been so quick.
Daisuke was selected at this year’s Unseen Photo Fair for the initial Outset Netherlands | Unnseen Exhibition Fund 2, which means that he will hold a solo exhibition at Foam Amsterdam in February of next year. Meanwhile, no less a name than Simon Baker (photography curator at the Tate) is dropping his name in interviews 3.
So, whether he likes it or not, Daisuke has become one of the leaders of his generation. When I wrote about Daisuke’s work in issue 4 of IMA Magazine, I talked about how such success can lead to unreasonable expectations on all sides. In Daisuke’s case, he’s often been compared to the Provoke photographers, and I think many (Western?) people want him to live up to this tradition. It would be impossible to do anything while carrying such a heavy burden. In any case, I didn’t write this in IMA, but I’m not worried about Daisuke’s ability to handle the pressure. He’s been able to block everything out and focus on his own work, and I am sure that he will be able to continue his development in his own way.
Now, somebody please get him a residency overseas!