Takashi Arai first encountered photography while he was a university student studying biology. In an effort to trace photography to its origins, he encountered daguerreotype, and after much trial and error he mastered the complex technique. Beginning in 2010, Arai used the daguerreotype technique to create individual records or micro-monuments of his encounters with surviving crew members and the salvaged hull of the Daigo Fuküryumaru, a nuclear fallout-contaminated fishing boat. This project led him to photograph the deeply interconnected subjects of Fukushima, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki.

The Hixson-Lied Visiting Artist & Scholar Lecture Series is underwritten by the Hixson-Lied Endowment, with additional support from other sources. Tahashi Arai’s visit to UNL is cosponsored by the Kawasaki Reading Room.

Each visiting artist or scholar spends one to three days on campus. They meet with classes, participate in critiques, and often give demonstrations. Every visiting artist or scholar gives at least one major lecture that is open to the public.