Photo: team art in berlin / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Hiroshi Sugimoto is one of those artists who makes you stop and genuinely reconsider what a photograph is supposed to do. Born in Tokyo in 1948, he moved through the world quietly and built a body of work that hits you like a long, slow exhale — his dioramas, seascapes, and theater interiors feel less like captured moments and more like meditations on time itself. The Hasselblad Award in 2001 and the Praemium Imperiale in 2009 confirmed what serious art circles had known for decades: this guy is operating on a completely different level. I'm not an art critic, but when I look at his work I feel something almost geological — like he's photographing eternity and somehow pulling it off. Rikkyo University educated, relentlessly philosophical in his practice, and utterly unbothered by trends. The kind of artist who makes you feel smarter just for knowing his name.
Overview
Hiroshi Sugimoto is a Japanese photographer and artist born on February 23, 1948, in Tokyo. He studied at Rikkyo University and went on to build an internationally recognized career spanning several decades. He has received major honors including the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Hasselblad Award in 2001, and the Praemium Imperiale in 2009. His official website is sugimotohiroshi.com.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hiroshi Sugimoto
- Name (Japanese)
- 杉本博司
- Reading
- すぎもと ひろし
- Born
- February 23, 1948 (age 78)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Rat
- Origin
- Tokyo, Japan
- Occupation
- Photographer / Artist
2. Background
- University
- Rikkyo University
Awards & achievements
- Guggenheim Fellowship (year unknown)
- Hasselblad International Photography Award (2001)
- Praemium Imperiale (2009)
3. Links
- Official sitehttps://sugimotohiroshi.com/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%89%E6%9C%AC%E5%8D%9A%E5%8F%B8
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q919236
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Hiroshi Sugimoto born?
Born February 23, 1948 (age 78).
Where is Hiroshi Sugimoto from?
Hiroshi Sugimoto is from Tokyo, Japan.
What does Hiroshi Sugimoto do?
Hiroshi Sugimoto works as Photographer, Artist.
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