One of the most celebrated names in photography, Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto is known for his almost painterly works produced by long exposures from his signature 8x10 format camera. His series focusing on well-known buildings from around the world began in 1997, like Chiesa Rossa (1998), which appears to have a cinematic softness achieved with his experimentation with depth of field. 'Chiesa Rossa' depicts the interior of Chiesa di Santa Maria Annunciata in Chiesa Rossa, Milan designed by the architect Giovanni Muzio. The interior is illuminated by commissioned fluorescent light sculptures by Dan Flavin which were conceived in 1996 and installed in 1997.

Hiroshi Sugimoto, born in Tokyo in 1948, is a versatile artist whose primary focus is photography, though his creativity extends to sculpture, architecture, installations, and performing arts projects. After graduating from St Paul’s University in Tokyo in 1970 and the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles in 1974, he settled in New York, where he currently resides. Sugimoto is renowned for his iconic photographs, capturing timeless moments and archetypal scenes. He challenges the objectivity of museum dioramas and photographs, prompting viewers to reconsider their perspective. His theatre series, starting in 1978, uniquely exposes entire films in a single long-exposure image, illuminating the auditorium's darkness and conveying the passage of time.

His Seascapes series, initiated in 1980, showcases the beauty of seas and skies with meticulous precision. Sugimoto's Portraits (1999) project reimagines historical figures in haunting Rembrandt-esque wax figure portraits. Sugimoto has been exhibited worldwide and resides in esteemed collections like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Centre Pompidou, and Museum of Modern Art. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Mainichi Art Prize (1988), Hasselblad Foundation International Award (2001), and Praemium Imperiale Award (2009). He continues to make an indelible mark on the art world.