For more than 7 years now, I have been photographing fancifully costumed clubgoers at club parties in Tokyo. I have taken over 600 portraits so far, with more to follow.
The clubgoers’ fake eyelashes, their hair extensions, the tattoos and character goods that cover their bodies seem almost to infinitely breed and multiply in a motley riot of colors.
Since ancient times, wearing bright colors and ornaments has been considered an effective way to call down luck from the spirits, who are said to be attracted to such brilliance.
Could they, then, be like the shamans of yesteryear, channeling the gods and spirits of this megalopolis who have long ceased to call to the humans who live within their ken? If so, will these shamans indeed be able to bring supernatural blessing upon Tokyo, now in the fast-dwindling last days of our fossil-fuel-based civilization?
Yoichi Nagata is a Tokyo based photographer. He studied photography at Eikoh Hosoe workshop. He worked as a commercial photographer, and a commercial works such as Shu Uemura Cosmetics and Shiseido etc. published in Graphis Posters and Advertising Photography in Japan. and also in the collection of Shiseido Gallery.
Awards Awards:
“Center Forward” The Center for Fine Art Photography Director’s Honorable Mention 2011
“Natural World” The Center for Fine Art Photography Director’s Honorable Mention 2010
Critical Mass 2010 finalist
IPA 5 Honorable Mention
PX3 2010 Second Prize in Fine Art People
Roberto Del Carlo Lucca digital Photo contest09 finalist
PX3 2009 2 Honorable Mention
Exhibition:
"Star of the Stars" The Center for Fine Art Photography (U.S.A.) 2011
“Center Forward” Denver International Airport 2011 June~October
“Center Forward” The Center for Fine Art Photography(U.S.A.) 2011 May~June.
“Earthwork” Central Booking Gallery(N.Y. U.S.A.) 2011 April~June.
“Natural World” The Center for Fine Art Photography(U.S.A.) 2010 Dec.
“Digital10 Planet Earth” New York Hall of Science 2010 Oct.
“Celine Wu & Yoichi Nagata in Kontraste” Micheko Galerie (Germany) 2010 Jun.
“Poster&Poster” Art Rush Gallery, Tokyo, 1999
