Dangerous poisonous flowers
(Kiken na adabana 危険な毒花)
(1957)
Medium
artist’s book: photo-offset lithograph and printed text, 244 pages, hardcover, dust jacket, glued binding
Measurements
19.0 × 13.5 cm (closed)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Bowness Family Fund for Photography, 2024
© Tokiwa Toyoko
Gallery location
Special Exhibitions Gallery
Ground Level, NGV International
About this work
Tokiwa Toyoko lived and worked in Yokohama, Japan, where she was introduced to photography by her older brother. In the early 1950s she joined the Shirayuri Camera Club, a women’s photography group. During the postwar period, many American soldiers were stationed in Yokohama, which became known for its red-light district, or akasen. Tokiwa became fascinated by the women working in these areas and began documenting their lives. Her 1957 photobook Dangerous Poisonous Flowers showcases both photographs and first-person texts, detailing the daily experiences of the women working in the city.