“Dreaming Planet”: Seeking the Soul’s Aspirations in a Luminous Reverie
Fireworks unfolding across the night sky resemble the dreams that flicker through our lives—brief yet dazzling, leaving an enduring imprint on the heart. Beginning from this profound realization, the photographer created “Dreaming Planet.”
Photographer Minae Kawada draws inspiration from the Nagaragawa Fireworks in Gifu—an event she has known since childhood. Through the forms and colors of light, she renders in abstract the inner landscapes of those who pursue their dreams. The images that surface through direct confrontation with emotion are woven into fireworks—symbols of fleeting beauty—inviting viewers to resonate with these dreamlike scenes and the dreams they embody.
In her visual language, “points” are likened to stars, symbolizing dreams and hope, while “lines” stand for the self and its emotions. With vivid imagination and delicate nuance, she portrays a complex spectrum of feelings that arise in the pursuit of dreams: longing, passion, ecstasy, restlessness, awe, disappointment, and renewal.
You are warmly invited to the opening reception on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 PM, followed by an artist talk from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. Join us for an intimate opportunity to hear Minae Kawada share her creative journey—witnessing the courage of a path that spans life’s stages, and the resilience and tenderness behind her photography.
Venue: 1839 Contemporary Gallery
About Photographer: Minae Kawada
Born in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
After many years devoted to raising her children, she began her career as a photographer and gradually expanded her practice to include exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. In 2020, she presented the series “Dreaming Planet” at the Sony Imaging Gallery, capturing the emotional landscape of dreamers through the fleeting beauty of fireworks. Since then, she has continued to pursue her artistic practice, creating the series “TREMOLO.”
Her photography explores the subtle shifts that arise between light and shadow, color and darkness, reality and imagination—revealing alternate worlds that emerge when one’s perspective changes.
Achievements
2018 EWAL Artist in Residence in UK 2018, United Kingdom
Awards:
2024 Honorable Mention, ASHIYA Photo Exhibition 2024 Road to PARIS
2022 Judges’ Award, ASHIYA Photo Exhibition 2022 Road to PARIS
2021 Work Nominated, Professional Abstract Category, 14th International Color Awards
2020 Honorable Mention, Professional Fine-Art Category, International Photography Awards
2020 Reviewer’s Award, ONAEBA vol.26
2020 Work Nominated, Professional Abstract Category, 13th International Color Awards
2019 Judge’s Choice Award, Premier Art Award Exhibition London 2019
2019 Reviewer’s Choice, Independence Exhibitions, Higashikawa International Photo Festival
2019 Work Nominated, Professional Abstract Category, 12th International Color Awards
2019 Winner, “The Town of Photography” Higashikawa Prize, ONAEBA 2019
2018 Honorable Mention, Professional Fine-Art Category, International Photography Awards
2018 Work Nominated, The Editors’ Photo Award ZOOMS JAPAN 2019
2015 Excellence Prize, Photo book Category, 55th Fujifi lm Photo Contest
Photograph Collection
TREMOLO (Ribbonsha)
《Dreaming Planet》by Minae KAWADA
Exhibition Period｜March 06-March 22, 2026
Opening｜Art Talk with Artist: Sat. March 07, 2026 14:30 – 17:00
Photo Talk｜Minae Kawada, v.s. Edward CHIU (Curator)
Gallery Director｜ Edward, I-Chien CHIU (phD)
Organizer: 1839 Contemporary Gallery (specializing in photographic art gallery). What’s 1839? It mean the invention of photography in 1839)
Address: B1, No. 120, Yanji Street, Da’an District, Taipei City