Experience the quiet wonder of scenes from Portland Japanese Garden’s autumnal landscape in Scenes of Serenity, featuring the work of Mathieu Rossi, Portland Japanese Garden Photography Member, on display from October 29, 2026, through January 18, 2027.   

Rossi’s work captures the feeling of tranquility ever-present in the Garden, depicted on scales both large and small: from the tiny textures of pale green moss surrounding a fallen leaf, to shafts of golden light piercing the windows of the Natural Garden’s machiai (sheltered waiting arbor). The warm hues and rich color palette of these works evoke the Garden’s iconic autumn season, signaling the cycles of time and seasonality rooted within the rhythms of the natural world. Rossi’s background as a landscape photographer is present through his artful compositions, which feel organic but are still highly focused. He showcases the interrelation between landscape, architecture, and light present throughout the Garden.   

Rossi’s work was selected through a Call for Photography issued in early 2026 available to Photographer Members. Sign up here to join our newsletter to be notified when the Call for Photography reopens.  

Mathieu Rossi is a landscape photographer originally from the south of France and now based in Portland, Oregon. He has previously lived and traveled in Western Canada and Nigeria. These experiences have influenced his appreciation for a wide range of natural settings. 
 
Since moving to Portland two years ago, he has spent time exploring Portland Japanese Garden, where he appreciates the careful architectural design and peaceful atmosphere. The garden’s connection to nature reminds him of the calm he feels in the mountains, which have long inspired his photography. 
 
Through his photography, Rossi tries to capture natural spaces in a way that invites viewers to pause and notice their surroundings. He continues to seek inspiration in new landscapes, most recently in the Yukon, and hopes to explore Hokkaido in the future. 

Portland Japanese Garden is excited to showcase the art of our own community in the Garden Gallery, a hallway gallery space in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center in our Cultural Village. In early 2026, for the first time, the organization extended a call for submissions to Photographer Members, including Matsu Members (formerly Steward), Sakura Society, and Golden Crane Recognition Society, for photographic artwork inspired by the natural world – especially gardens Japanese gardens, the Pacific Northwest, and Japanese art and cultural traditions.  The Garden was honored and moved by the portfolios we received in response.  

Portland Japanese Garden looks forward to continuing to celebrate the diverse artwork and voices of Photographer Members through future Calls for Photography. If you are interested in becoming a Photographer Member or learning more about supporting the Garden, sign up here: