Towering above commuters and passersby at Kyoto station is a monumental mural featuring more than 500 portraits of local residents. This striking installation by acclaimed French photographer JR heralds the opening of Kyotographie 2025, the city’s celebrated month-long international photography festival.
The theme for this year’s event is “humanity”. Last autumn, JR and his team transformed Kyoto into a living studio, setting up mobile portrait stations across the city to capture the rich diversity of Kyōto-jin society. Monks, artisans, politicians, schoolchildren and drag queens – all life is here.
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Shooting the Chronicles of Kyoto – each person is photographed against a greenscreen backdrop
The photographer and street artist’s technique is to take each portrait on a greenscreen backdrop, with controlled lighting for continuity, so that they can be easily cut out and placed on a constructed landscape. This is based on spaces and buildings photographed from around the city that are stitched together to create a grand tableau of unexpected interactions.
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Every portrait is taken with the same lighting applied for continuity
Each individual is in charge of how they’re portrayed. It’s entirely up to them what they choose to wear and how they pose – th...
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