Softly shining light soothes my heart as I find myself perplexed in the depressing darkness amidst life’s haste and gives me time to regain my composure.
I feel divinity in the peculiar “workings of energy unseen” and I think I approach the truth of this world by modestly facing that energy.
This project is an attempt to perceive the existence that produces “life” which transcends human intellect.
Furthermore, this is a record of meditations on cherishing the “holy light” in spaces where silence dominates, as well as a journey to capture symbols before they become words.
1972 Born in Chiba, Japan.
The Great East Japan earthquake of 2011 had a great impact on me, leading me to create this body of work. The Fukushima nuclear tragedy shook our society, our materialistic lifestyles and values. It led me to think about the dignity of all living things, something I had forgotten for quite a long time.
My photographs encourage the viewer to reconsider the relationship between humans and nature. Seeing people helping each other physically and emotionally after the disaster, it made me reconsider the act of prayer. I realized that this act of praying, a part of Japanese society since ancient times, is the foundation of this society.
Reflecting on the traditional Japanese idea that every natural entity possesses a spiritual essence, and the prayer for those things, I started photographing torii and shimenawa, the shrine gates and the twisted ropes used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion, both of which divide sacred places from the real world. The natural landscape — mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees — became my subject.
In modern society, endless information scrolls across our devices, keeping our brains constantly occupied. By focusing on nature, I am looking to traditional ways, and reconsidering traditional Japanese values, which teaches that the invisible energy of nature and human activities are closely integrated.
These black-and-white photographs are part of an ongoing series that I will continue to create over my lifetime. Each image measures 9.5 x 6.8 inches, with a wide margin between image and frame, allowing the viewer to be absorbed into the sacred and quiet pictorial space, separate from the surrounding world.
Exihibition :
The Emerging Photography Artist 2013 (Japan / Tokyo)
Seoul Photo 2013 (Korea / Seoul)
Emon Director’s Choice B&W Exhibition 2013 (Japan / Tokyo)
Awards 2013 The Emerging Photography Artist 2013 , Instyle Photography Center , Second Prize
2013 International Photography Awards, Honorable Mention (Fine Art : Landscape)
2014 Black & White Spider Awards, Nominated
2015 PX3 WHITE COMPETITION, Honorable Mention
2015 PX3 COMPETITION, Honorable Mention
2015 MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL FOTO AWARDS, Honorable Mention (CATEGORY : Nature-Trees)
2015 Black & White Spider Awards, Honorable Mention in Fine Art
2015 International Photography Awards, Honorable Mention (Fine Art : Landscape)
2016 MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL FOTO AWARDS, 3rd Place (CATEGORY : Fine Art-Landscape)
2016 PX3 COMPETITION, Gold Winner, (CATEGORY : Abstract)
