Joan Zhang, a photographer and visual study researcher, is now studying a Ph.D. program at the University of Tsukuba. She researches the history of contemporary Japanese photography and photographers based in Japan.  She finished a one-year internship at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in 2023. Joan is also one of the co-founders of ImagePresence Project in China, a non-profit dedicated to disseminating and exchanging contemporary East Asian photography.

ImagePresence Project

Education

・Present University of Tsukuba, Doctoral Program in Art, Supervisor: Gary McLeod

・2023.4 – 2024.3 University of Tsukuba, Graduate Program in Art, Research Student, Supervisor: Gary McLeod

・2021.4 – 2023.3 Tokyo Polytechnic University, Graduate School of Arts, Supervisor: Kisei Kobayashi

・2019.4 – 2021.3 Tokyo College of Photography, Goto Seminar

・2014.9 – 2018.6 Changsha Medical University, B.A. in Medical Imaging (Image Diagnostics)

Research Experience

・2025.11 – 2025.12 Guest Researcher, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland

・2025.6 – 2025.7 Research Assistant, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

・2023.7 – Present Cofounder, Imagepresence Project

・2022.3 – 2023.4 Intern, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (TOP Museum). Assisted with the preparation of the Masahisa Fukase exhibition and the editing of its catalogue.

Oral Presentations

・Joan Zhang. "Invisible Scene: A Study of Illustration Expressions of Photographers’ Gestures in Camera Magazines of Japan from the 1920s." The Japan Society for Arts and History of Photography Conference 2025, Tokyo, Japan, July 12, 2025.

・Joan Zhang. "Invisible Scene: A Study of Illustration Expressions of Photographers’ Gestures in Camera Magazines of Japan from the 1920s." International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA) Conference, Suwon, South Korea, June 26, 2025.

・Joan Zhang. "As a Mirror: A Problem of Intimacy in Contemporary Japanese Photography from Masahisa Fukase’s Yoko." Helsinki Photomedia Conference 2024, Dipoli, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland, April 11, 2024.

・Joan Zhang. "A Study of Private Photographic Expression in Contemporary Japanese Photography: From the Perspective of Masahisa Fukase’s Yoko ". Annual Conference of the Society of Photography of Japan, Tokyo, Japan, July 2023.

Poster Presentations

・Joan Zhang. Invisible Scene: A Study of Illustration Expressions of Photographers’ Gestures in Camera Magazines of Japan from the 1920s.University of Tsukuba, Research Presentations by Doctoral Students Awarded SPRING or BOOST (peer-reviewed), B-136, Multi-Purpose Hall, Tsukuba International Congress Center, December 6, 2024.

Awards

・2022 Selected for the First Screening, 25th Photo “1_Wall” Competition, Tokyo, Japan

・2021 Selected, Portrait of Japan 2021, Tokyo, Japan

・2020 Finalist, Imageless Dummy Photo-zine Awards 2019, Shanghai, China

Curation

・2024 Every Day Today, University of Tsukuba, General Research Building D, Tsukuba, Japan

・2023 Tell 'em I Tried, University of Tsukuba, Art Space Gallery, Tsukuba, Japan

Group Exhibitions

・2025 Doctoral Course Exhibition, University of Tsukuba, General Research Building D, Tsukuba

・2024 Doctoral Course Exhibition, University of Tsukuba, University Hall, Tsukuba

・2024 Every Day Today, University of Tsukuba, General Research Building D, Tsukuba

・2023 Tokyo Polytechnic University Graduation and Master’s Exhibition 2023, Tokyo

・2022 JIMEI x ARLES Photobook Exhibition Space on Paper, Xiamen, Beijing

・2021 Portrait of Japan 2021, Tokyo

・2020 Imageless Dummy Photo-zine Awards 2019, Modern Art Academy, Shanghai

・2020 With, Tokyo College of Photography, Kanagawa

Solo Exhibition

・2020.11 Invisible Skin, Tokyo College of Photography, Kanagawa