IBASHO and its sister gallery
IN-DEPENDANCE by IBASHO proudly present parallel solo exhibitions by UK-based Japanese artist
Sayuri Ichida and her life partner, Polish-British artist
Tomasz Laczny. Their works will be on view in tandem from 22 November 2025 to 11 January 2026 in Antwerp.
While each artist has a distinct style, their exhibitions are closely connected. Regular collaborators—where Laczny designs the artist books for Ichida’s photographic series, together they explore themes of family, migration, memory and identity with an emotional resonance. Visitors are encouraged to experience both exhibitions in dialogue with—and within walking distance from—one another.
Sayuri Ichida, Phoka #048, courtesy of IBASHO
Sayuri Ichida, Phoka #027, from the series Playing the Piano Upstairs, courtesy of IBASHO
(1985) is an artist whose practice centres on the theme of self-identity. Through her photographs, she explores the complexity of emotional states by depicting the human form alongside sculptural objects. Her work is included in the collections of Museum Voorlinden and the Verbund Collection in Vienna, among others.
At IBASHO, Ichida presents two new series in her solo exhibition Semitone. In Playing the Piano Upstairs, the piano becomes a metaphor for the fragile half-step between the closeness and distance of sisters — keys that sit side by side, sounding almost alike yet distinctly different. This subtle musical shift also resonates with Ctrl Shift + J, whose black-and-white images echo the piano’s alternating keys. Across the exhibition, Semitone evokes the delicate intervals that shape relationships, memories, and absence.
Playing the Piano Upstairs – The series grew out of Ichida’s relationship with her sister Phoka and their shared memories of childhood in Niigata, one of Japan’s snowiest regions. After losing their mother in their late teens, the sisters slowly rebuilt a fragile but enduring closeness. Photographing Phoka became a way for Ichida to trace that transformation. Set against quiet landscapes of snow, sea, and fields, Playing the Piano Upstairs reflects on sisterhood, connection, and the quiet endurance of affection.
The series is printed as a mix of archival pigment and photopolymer photogravure prints on Japanese Kozo and Shiramine papers. Each gravure print was hand-printed by the artist — a slow, tactile process that mirrors the reflective nature of the work. The title comes from a childhood memory of hearing her sister practising the piano upstairs — a sound that stayed with her over the years.
Ctrl Shift + J – What is the psychological impact of frequently relocating to a new place? How does one reconcile the enduring tension between belonging and displacement? And where does one truly feel at home as an emigrant?
The series is a meditation on Ichida’s personal journey from her family’s move to Niigata Prefecture in her childhood to a DNA test years later that revealed a small percentage of British ancestry—a discovery that led her to the country where her great-great-grandfather once lived. The latter, unexpected revelation prompted reflections on shared experiences of migration and estrangement across generations.
In
Ctrl Shift + J, Ichida weaves together architectural details, family photographs, and geometric forms that appear deliberately out of place, evoking the unease of not fitting in. The title refers to a keyboard shortcut used by Ichida when typing in Japanese—an indirect nod to her national background and the in-between space she inhabits. An artist book of the same name-designed by Laczny and published by IBASHO and the(M) éditions, is available at the gallery and via the online bookshop: the regular edition (500 copies) and a special edition of ten scroll books presented in a box with an original polymer photogravure plate.
Sayuri Ichida, Phoka #018, from the series Playing the piano upstairs, courtesy of IBASHO
Sayuri Ichida, Phoka #001, 2022, from the series Playing the piano upstairs, courtesy of IBASHO
Sayuri Ichida, Ctrl Shift + J #024, courtesy of IBASHO
Starting 22 November, the first solo exhibition in Belgium by Polish-British artist
Tomasz Laczny (1974) will be on view. Laczny is a book designer whose artistic practice is built around the idea of human connection. His work is rooted in experiences of migration and loss, connecting deeply personal narratives with broader social themes.
“Traces”—as the exhibition is titled—refers both to the marks that tools leave on paper (i.e. ink brushstrokes in drawings, chemical traces in photography) and to the psychological marks that intrinsically connect the three bodies of works in this exhibition.
In Erna Helena Ania (large-scale cyanotypes), Laczny revisits WWII and the tragic love story of his grandmother — a German woman who, because of her poor living conditions, was unable to raise her daughter and was forced to give her away to save her life. The accompanying artist book is part of the library collection of the MoMA in New York.
The Plague consists of tintype self-portraits of Laczny and his son, created during the period when they were separated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition also includes a selection of drawings from his ongoing series Urushi, in which, as the artist explains, “everything happens through layering, patience, and curing, and I felt that was quite similar to how drawing develops — slowly, through lines, textures, and layers coming together.”
Tomasz Laczny will give a two-day book workshop 6-7 December at IN-DEPENDANCE, focusing on editing, layout design, binding exercises, and creating a draft dummy of an artist book.
The vernissage of both exhibitions will take place on Saturday 22 November from 14:00 to 18:00, in the presence of the artists, who will also be signing copies of their books.
Tomasz Laczny, Erna Helena Ania 1, Large-format cyanotypes toned in coffee, printed on handmade Japanese Kozo Paper, 96 x 69 cm, courtesy of IN-DEPENDANCE by IBASHO
Tomasz_Laczny, Erna Helena Ania 2, Large-format cyanotypes toned in coffee, printed on handmade Japanese Kozo Paper 96 × 69 cm, courtesy of IN-DEPENDANCE by IBASHO.
IBASHO (meaning ‘a place where you can be yourself’ in Japanese) is a gallery in Antwerp that opened its doors in March 2015. It was founded by couple Martijn van Pieterson and Annemarie Zethof, with the aim of creating a welcoming space for Japanese aesthetics. IBASHO presents fine art photography, ranging from works by established Japanese photographers to younger contemporary artists, as well as Western photographers inspired by Japan—creating a unique artistic dialogue. The gallery is located in the Zuid district of Antwerp.
Photography books hold a central place in Japanese visual culture. This is why IBASHO houses a specialised bookstore offering both contemporary and vintage photography books. The gallery also publishes its own titles in collaboration with the Paris-based publishing house the(M) éditions. More recently, IBASHO has expanded its artistic horizon by incorporating Japanese ceramics into its exhibitions, continuing its mission to showcase the full richness of Japanese aesthetics.
In 2024, IBASHO opened a sister gallery in Antwerp: IN-DEPENDANCE by IBASHO, dedicated mainly to Western artists and visual art that explores materiality, craftsmanship and a quiet, contemplative aesthetic.
