NSFW: Polish photog Pawel Jaszczuk's racy photo exhibition probes the secret sex lives of Japan's underground. Photo: courtesy of Pawel Jaszczuk

By Matthew Jukes

Peering into the dark underbelly of China's polite neighbor to the east is an unsettling experience. Perhaps chained to etiquette and civility in their everyday encounters, Japan is a nation renowned and respected for their most conservative way of life. But in the latest exhibition by new gallery Zen Foto, this civility and etiquette is not only chained, but tied up, flagellated, humiliated and molested.

The culminating work of a three-year on and off project by Tokyo-based Polish photographer Pawel Jaszczuk, the collection of images making up Kinky City are not for the faint of heart, and include more than one photograph of knotted up overweight Japanese men in contorted positions, images of what appears to be a woman fellating a man in a wolf costume and also a number of inventive uses for fish hooks and stitches.

"I am kind of a night person; I go out quite often, always looking for something interesting to happen, always…hunting," said Jaszczuk. "Where is a better place to hunt than a megalopolis?"

Rather than subject viewers to the shock value of each scene in full color (including in some cases the contrast of skin and bodily fluids present in some of the pieces) Jaszczuk instead opted for low contrast black and white. "I like the raw, grainy feeling of black and white film, in fact I love it," he said. "I think it works well with these kinds of situations."

The noir feel of his photos takes away some of the graphic impact of the images, but leaves the expressions on the faces of the subjects open to interpretation; whether they be excruciating pain or climactic ecstasy is anyone's guess, but the nature of the situations, like a young nude woman being prodded with a paint covered mop, certainly asks of the viewer to wonder how the photos were obtained.

"It started from one fetish party. I was shooting and gathering information at the same time, about more parties, places and people. The next week I went to another place and then another and got info there about more places ... more people. It was like a chain reaction," said Jaszczuk. "I met many people ... people who helped me to get into the places where you are not supposed to take pictures."

The photographer embarked on the project to satisfy his curiosity about the underground sex scene in Tokyo. Previous works, shown on his website, were obtained along similar means and always manage to capture a moment that seems shocking, but is also very intimate.

"I always talk to people. I try to explain what I do and why," he said. "Sometimes they are willing to cooperate, sometimes not. But I never shoot if the person doesn't want to be photographed."

Kinky City will be on display for the next two weeks and is only the second exhibition for the newly opened space, an extension of one based in Tokyo that aims to swap shows by Japanese and Chinese photographers. "Obviously we won't be inviting in any of the hutong kids for a look or a glass of orange juice," said curator Laura Tinley.

Where: Zen Foto Beijing, No. 31 Gongyixiang Guozijian

When: Until August 15, gallery open Wed to Fri, 12 pm to 7 pm, Sat to Sun, 12 pm to 5 pm

www.zen-foto.jp

www.paweljaszczukgallery.com

NSFW: Polish photog Pawel Jaszczuk's racy photo exhibition probes the secret sex lives of Japan's underground. Photo: courtesy of Pawel Jaszczuk