David Bowie, photographed by Masayoshi Sukita, exhibition opens in Barcelona

Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita pictured his great friend, the international singer David Bowie, over 40 years.

Years later, Barcelona's FotoNostrum exhibition hall presents 'Bowie X Sukita,' featuring around 70 iconic photos from the international artist. The photos show how Bowie evolved over time. He is pictured in his evolving phase as Ziggy Stardust to his last days on earth.

'Bowie X Sukita' will be open until September 15 with commissioner Maurizio Guidoni praising Bowie's role in pop culture during the 20th century.

"His legacy is not only about his music," Guidoni said before adding that "he was a creator that inspired many other artists, such as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, The Cure, and Nick Cave."

Among the photos, there are some of the artist's trips in Japan.

The Bowie-Sukita relationship is quite peculiar as neither spoke the other's language. Aki Sukita, Masayoshi's nephew, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) in an interview in Barcelona that his uncle saw a poster of Bowie and went to his studio to ask if he could take part in a photoshoot.

They had "something special between them as artists," Sukita said before explaining that Sukita was interested in Western culture and Bowie in Eastern culture.

"I sometimes wonder how he could be friends with Bowie," his nephew wonders as he did not speak English.