Photographer and Matador contributor Ryan Libre is in Hokkaidō for 6 weeks in support of his exhibition at the Higashikawa Photo Gallery. The exhibition is part of the Higashikawa International Photo Festival, which runs from July 8th to July 21st.

WHEN I ASKED HIM about Higashikawa, Ryan said “the gallery is a hidden Gem, in many ways one of the best photo galleries in Japan, but tucked away in a quiet little mountain town.”

Currently showing are 25 images selected from 30,000 images of Daisetsuzan National Park and printed at 36”x24”. About the title, Ryan said: ” the show title ライアン・リブレ写真展「Kamui Mintara　カムイミンタラ」 means ‘playground of the gods.'” He notes, “This exhibition is not really about Daisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido Japan. It is about a place I found while exploring the park. A place without GPS coordinates. A place that can be discovered even in your own local park and perhaps even in your office. A place where everything can evoke wonder, were every moment can be beautiful, a place where even words limit your perception and must be left at the entrance.”

There are more details on Ryan’s site .

I’ve known Ryan was building a place for himself in Chiang Mai, but it’s been a while since we’ve touched base. Here was a little stoke from our gchat:

ryan: it is very livable now… got a solar powered adobe office
garden, water
me: beautiful man
so sweet
and this is in . . .?
ryan: Chiang Mai
me: right
ryan: or 30 miles outside the city
on the border of one of the largest NPs in Thailand
5 min walk
on the border of one of the largest NPs in Thailand

So fired up for Ryan’s progression. Please help support him by visiting his latest project, a subscription to his prints. Or if you’re in Hokkaidō in the next two weeks, check his work at Higashikawa.