The Peabody Essex Museum, located at East India Square in Salem, is showing the photographic work of Toshio Shibata now through August 31 in its Hilborn Gallery. One of Japan’s preeminent landscape photographers, Toshio Shibata is known for exploring the delicate balance between human-made structures and nature. Photographing erosion control barriers, water catchments, roads, dams and bridges, he examines the unique appearance of such structures in his native land. Through his lens, riverbeds can look like origami, and waterfalls resemble kimono.

This exhibition of 28 large-format works will be the artist’s first solo show in an American museum since 1995 and the first time his color pictures will be shown in America.

Shibata was recently featured in a two-person show at the National Arts Center, Tokyo, and in a solo retrospective at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum.

All works are by Toshio Shibata, and appear courtesy of the artist; Gallery Luisotti, Santa Monica; and Laurence Miller Gallery, New York. Black and white works are gelatin silver prints, color works are color coupler prints. Support provided by the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum. For hours and directions, visit www.pem.org.