Japanese photographer Akito Tsuda arrived in Chicago in 1988 and studied at Columbia College from 1990 to 1994. A class assignment led him to the Lower West Side neighborhood of Pilsen, where he captured hundreds of photographs over four years. These images document the largely Mexican American community, featuring both neighborhood exteriors and intimate interiors. Tsuda returned to Japan and kept the photos private for many years. In 2014, he posted them on social media, sparking immediate, enthusiastic responses from the community.
In 2021, Chicago Public Library Special Collections, with help from the Chicago Public Library Foundation, purchased around 100 of Tsuda’s photographs. Supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art, CPL planned an exhibition of Tsuda’s work, Akito Tsuda: Pilsen Days, which opened in June 2024 as part of Art Design Chicago.
During a 2022 visit, Tsuda reconnected with Pilsen residents, recording conversations about their lives and the photographs. Audio recordings and transcripts from this visit are available in a digital collection while photographs can be viewed in the Special Collections Reading Room.
Japanese photographer Akito Tsuda arrived in Chicago in 1988 and studied at Columbia College from 1990 to 1994.
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An initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art in partnership with artists and organizations across the city, Art Design Chicago is a series of events and exhibitions that highlight the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.
