Esprits du Japon — Charles Fréger et la collection japonaise du Musée des Confluences, 2018

A sharp encounter between contemporary photography and ritual heritage, this book reveals Japan through its living spirits. Charles Fréger’s staged portraits of masked figures extend his typological practice into folklore, echoing series like Wilder Mann. Produced with the Musée des Confluences, it pairs photographs with ethnographic objects, bridging image and archive. The result is precise and unsettling: a study of disguise, identity and transmission where tradition is neither frozen nor exoticised, but actively performed.

Technical Sheet
Title: Esprits du Japon
Artist / Author: Charles Fréger
Date: 2018
Medium / Materials: Softcover book
Pages: 25
Language: French
Publisher / Editor: Bernard Chauveau Édition / Musée des Confluences
ISBN: 978-2-36306-246-8