In 1965, Japanese photographer Kawada Kikuji (b. 1933) published Chizu (The Map), a photobook that defies clear narratives or explanations. In it, Coca-Cola bottles litter the ground, haunting vestiges of violence stain the walls and ceilings of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, ruined fortresses dot the landscape around Tokyo Bay, and relics from deceased soldiers hint at futures that never materialized. By layering and juxtaposing black-and-white photographs, Kawada attempts to embrace the uncertainty of Japanese society in the 1960s and acknowledge the complexity of its relationship to the past and future.

With its highly metaphorical and abstract content, Chizu became one of the most important photobooks in the history of photography. This exhibition explores the full scope of Chizu through the MFA’s extensive archive of images, negatives, notes, contact sheets, and an original copy of the book—all acquired directly from the photographer in 2022. Visitors can contemplate the ambiguity and inexplicability of the world that Kawada’s photographs communicate and draw connections to the image-saturated environment of today.