Agustín Estrada examines nature through cross-cultural lenses at Rice Media Center

Mexico City artist’s new Japan-inspired show, “Shizen: On the Art of Looking at Nature,” runs through Oct. 25

Agustín Estrada’s new photography exhibition at the Rice Media Center opened Sept. 18. (Photo by Frankie Huang)

In America, trekking out to view fall foliage is often called “leaf peeping.” In Japan, the phrase is momijigari — literally, “red-leaf hunting” — and has a springtime counterpart in hanami, or “flower viewing.”

Examining the natural world through these two lenses is the focus of Mexico City artist Agustín Estrada’s new photography exhibition at the Rice Media Center Main Gallery, “Shizen: On the Art of Looking at Nature.”

Fittingly, an opening reception hosted by the Visual and Dramatic Arts department Sept. 18 at the Rice Media Center was a cross-cultural event. Estrada was joined by compatriots Oscar Rodríguez Cabrera, consul general of Mexico in Houston, and Nuria Paulina Zuñiga Alaniz, consul of documentation at the Consulate of Mexico. The Consulate-General of Japan in Houston was represented by Vice-Consul of Cultural Affairs Ai Kawase and Alisa J. Tobin, coordinator of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Scholarship program.

Estrada spoke at the Sept. 18 opening reception. (Photo by Frankie Huang)

This isn’t the first time Estrada has drawn inspiration from Japan. He has worked with photography and printing for over 40 years, with the majority of his publications focusing on various cultures. In 2009, “Koika” explored the world of Japanese koi ponds and water gardens.

“Shizen,” which means “nature” in Japanese, features more than 30 prints on view. Estrada’s distinct black-and-white shots allow a closer examination of the textures and overlapping forms of birds perched on leafy branches, occasionally indistinguishable from the leaves themselves, and fish scales glittering through dark water.

“Shizen: On the Art of Looking at Nature” runs through Oct. 25. For more information, visit vada.rice.edu.