Sasuke presents a deeply personal series of photographs by Masahisa Fukase, centered on the photographer’s beloved black cat. Made in the mid-1970s, the images move between playful observation and something darker — moments of affection, curiosity, solitude, and quiet companionship.

Photographed primarily inside Fukase’s home, Sasuke appears climbing furniture, staring out windows, darting through shadows, or pausing mid-motion. The camera follows the cat closely, capturing gestures that feel both spontaneous and strangely expressive. As the sequence unfolds, Sasuke becomes more than a subject — the cat becomes a presence within Fukase’s everyday life.

Like much of Fukase’s work, the photographs carry a subtle emotional weight beneath their surface. The domestic space becomes a stage for fleeting moments of intimacy and isolation, reflecting the photographer’s interest in how small, personal relationships shape our inner worlds.

Sasuke offers a rare and tender look at Fukase’s practice — playful on the surface, but unmistakably infused with the psychological depth that defines his work.

Artist: Masahisa Fukase

Publisher: Atelier EXB

Format: Hardcover

Dimensions: approx. 7.5 × 9.5 inches (19 × 24 cm)

Page Count: 96 pages

Printing: Black-and-white reproductions

Binding: Casebound

Language: English / Japanese

Release Year: 2015

Edition: First English-language edition

Every photographer has a subject that pulls them back again and again.

For Masahisa Fukase, at one point, that subject was a cat named Sasuke.

What makes these photographs special isn’t just the cat itself — it’s the attention. Fukase follows Sasuke through rooms, across furniture, into corners of the house where light falls unevenly. The images feel quick, instinctive, and full of movement, as if the camera is constantly trying to keep up.

At times the photographs are funny. At others they feel unexpectedly lonely. That tension — between humor and something more introspective — runs through much of Fukase’s work.

For photographers, Sasuke is a reminder that the most compelling subjects are often right in front of us, living their own quiet lives.