In 1951 Werner Bischof leaves Europe for the first time. His journey in Asia, which lasted two years.

The Japanese photographer has reached great acclaim for his urban shots of people across the globe. But his New York photos in particular – the gritty and allusive – have profound and lasting impact.

In search for those who stood out from the crowd, the iconic street photographer ended up capturing an array of homeless people, day workers and the Yakuza – Japan’s mafia.

While visiting New York on a commission in 1969, the Japanese photographer was invited to an orgy at the studio of Yayoi Kusama – “I had no choice but to shoot!”