mugshots

• Photographer
  Yoko Haraoka, United States

Photographs in the "Mugshots" series are self-portrait
comic depictions of staged characters that were
inspired from from the artist’s own observation of
people on the street, celebrities in the media,
also real life police photos. This project is rather to explore gestures and face
expression in extreme circumstances as being arrested than to make fun of criminals.
As facial expressions, hand gestures and extreme
emotions have always fascinated her,
Yoko focused on people's attitudes that come from
anger,guilt, shame, vulnerability, and humiliation
that are created in daily incidents.
When creating characters to transform into,
while living in such a multicultural place as
New York City, has given her an opportunity to observe
and try to mimic a multitude of emotions.
In this self-portrait series she is transforming into
stereotypical characters that she created,
whose mugshots are portraying various reactions to
being arrested.

Awards I have participated group shows at Greenpoint Gallery in Brooklyn NEW YORK, and Hotel Chelsea Art show at Hotel Chelsea NEW YORK in 2011, and "Beyond 1 lens & Over 100 eyes" at hpgrp GALLERY NEW YORK in 2012.