Piret Kriivan says Bowie reinvented himself without losing himself
Friday 16th October 2026 on 14:15 in
Estonia
David Bowie’s ability to keep discovering himself while remaining true to himself was one of his defining qualities, Vikerraadio editor and Bowie fan Piret Kriivan said, according to ERR. She was speaking on the culture programme OP as a new exhibition in Tallinn explores Bowie’s long collaboration with Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita.
The exhibition, “Bowie x Sukita,” opened last week at the Poco pop art museum and presents more than 40 years of work by the pair. Museum founder and exhibition curator Linnar Viik said Sukita’s work stands out for its perfectionism.
Sukita and Bowie met by chance in the early 1970s. Sukita, then a successful advertising photographer, was in London to photograph Marc Bolan. After the shoot, he saw a poster for a concert taking place that evening. Though he did not speak English, he decided to go because the figure on the poster caught his attention.
The artist he saw on stage left a profound impression on him, Viik said. Sukita asked his assistant, who spoke some English, to help him arrange to photograph the musician. Bowie was invited to the same studio the next day, initially just to have wine, but he eventually posed for the camera.
That first shoot created a connection that lasted more than 44 years, until Bowie’s death, Viik said. Sukita, now 88, still takes photographs every day. A few weeks ago, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Abby Road Photo Award, which Viik described as the highest recognition in the field.
Kriivan said she had known of Bowie since childhood but became a devoted fan a few years ago while preparing an overview of the music of her youth for children. She was especially drawn to his ability to change and explore his identity while still being himself.
Japan also played an important role in Bowie’s life. Alongside his work with Sukita, he collaborated with Japanese fashion designers and learned from Japanese theatre. Kriivan said she sees the relationship as Japan discovering Bowie, pointing to film director Nagisa Ōshima’s interest in him after seeing him perform in “The Elephant Man” on Broadway.