Adrien Jean, Immersion in a Solitary Culture
In this series, the photographer addresses the sense of solitude felt by both Japanese people and travellers visiting the country.

© Adrien Jean
A businessman on the way to the office, another going to pray at the Buddhist temple in Asakusa, a woman looking out of a café window… In the 25 photographs in the series Japan — A lonely feeling by Adrien Jean, the hustle and bustle of the Japanese cities seems to have evaporated. Other than the protagonist, no other human appears in the frame. In these compositions, driven by geometric work, Tokyo, Kyoto, Takamatsu, and Naoshima appear to be no more than empty shells.
Adrien Jean is a French photographer. Born in Nantes, he settled in Vietnam in 2014, where he worked with national publications like The Saigoneer and Saigon Times Weekly. He also works as a photojournalist for the French agency Hans Lucas. He visited Japan in July and August 2019 and this was when he was struck by the desire to examine solitude, as felt by both the Japanese people and travellers.
‘Japanese cities are known for their high population density and their packed underground network, but they can actually prove to be particularly alienating’, Adrien Jean explains. ‘What I want to illustrate in this series is the fluctuating sensation of solitude a traveller can feel when immersing themselves in the country’s culture.’
Adrien Jean’s work can be viewed on his website and Instagram account.

© Adrien Jean

© Adrien Jean

© Adrien Jean

© Adrien Jean

© Adrien Jean

© Adrien Jean

© Adrien Jean

© Adrien Jean
TRENDING
-
Japanese Society and Self-Harm
Photographer Kosuke Okahara followed six young girls experiencing suffering in 'Ibasyo -Self-injury, proof of existence-'.
-
Tohl Narita, an Iconic ‘Tokusatsu’ Visual Artist
Artistic director and creator of cult characters like Ultraman, this artist shaped the history of special effects in Japanese cinema.
-
'The Spirit of Pleasure', a Glimpse into Eroticism in Japan
From the cult of the samurai to that of geishas and the tightening of conventions, this essay traces the history of hedonism in Japan.
-
‘Cure’, the Fear of Emptiness
At the crossroads between film noir and the fantastic, Kiyoshi Kurosawa depicts a manhunt where fear infiltrates a lifeless society.
-
COMME des GARÇONS, Deconstructed Fashion by Rei Kawakubo
Founded in opposition to Western aesthetic norms, the brand shakes up established notions of beauty, gender and the body.