Emi Anrakuji (b. Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese photographer and artist known for her deeply personal and intimate work. Her art explores identity, body awareness, illness, and the fragility of existence. She often blends photography, self-portraiture, and collage to create dreamlike, fragmented worlds.

After suffering a brain illness in her twenties, Anrakuji began using photography as a way to reconnect with her body and mind. Her images feel both sensual and disoriented. They explore the space between recovery and vulnerability, fantasy and reality.

Her signature style is tactile and raw. She often appears in her own photos—blurred, cropped, or partially hidden. These self-portraits resist clear interpretation and challenge conventional views of the female body.

Anrakuji’s work moves between the personal and the surreal. She layers textures, objects, and printed images into collage-like compositions. Her art evokes isolation, desire, and the search for presence.

She has exhibited internationally, including in Tokyo, New York, Paris, and Los Angeles. Her photobooks, such as IPY, Private Landscape, and anrakuji emi 1800millimètre, have received critical acclaim. Stieglitz19 has featured her work in Europe, recognizing her unique voice in contemporary Japanese photography.

Emi Anrakuji creates haunting images that are both intimate and abstract. Her work invites viewers into a deeply psychological and emotional space.

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emi list of works