Torii

• Prize
  Gold in Book/Other
• Photographer
  Ulana Switucha, Hong Kong
• Date of Photograph
  2016 to 2025
• Website
  http://ulanaswitucha.com
• Instagram
  @ulanaswitucha
• PDF
  View

“Torii” is a journey through the Japanese spiritual landscape. Photographed over 10 years, mostly in rarely visited locations, the images cover the length of Japan. The viewer arrives at sea, peels back layers of transparent pages, and is welcomed into a peaceful space as the first Torii gate is revealed. Wandering from one Torii gate to another, there is a change in landscape and in weather. At each location the viewer is invited to participate in their own quiet fascination and reflection.
Cloth Covered Hardback,Casebound,260mmx210mm,Landscape,96 Pgs,40images,Offset print,150gsm paper

When creating an image, Ulana Switucha is inspired by light, shape, and tone. Her simple, often minimal, compositions present an awareness and a connection with the subject whether it be landscape, portraiture or documentary work. A Canadian based in Hong Kong, Ulana's work has been exhibited and published internationally. Her passion is best expressed by a quote from a contemporary photographer: “If I weren’t a photographer, I’d still be a traveler”.

Awards RECENT AWARDS
•2025 Top 50 Finalist Critical Mass - Tokyo Toilet Project
•2025 Sony World Photography Awards - First Place, Architecture and Design - The Tokyo Toilet Project
•2024 Tokyo International Photography Awards - Silver - Tokyo Toilet Project Bronze - Torii
•2024 ND Awards - Gold Star 1st Place - Long Exposure - Torii
•2024 Minimalist Photography Awards - Long Exposure Photographer of the Year - 1st Place - Torii
•2024 Prix de la Photographie, Paris, Px3 - Silver - Torii


RECENT EXHIBITIONS
•Group Exhibition - December 2025, Duncan Miller Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
•Solo Exhibition - November 15 to December 14 2025, Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong Kong
•Group Exhibition - October 17 2025 - January 18 2026, Freundeskreis Willy-Brandt-Haus, Berlin
•Group Exhibition - June 12 -September 28 2025 - Museo Diocesano Carlo Maria Martini, Milan, Italy
•Group Exhibition - May 30 - June 5, 2025 - Sony Imaging Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
•Group Exhibition - April 17 - May 5, 2025 - Somerset House, London
•Juried Exhibition - January - February 2025 - Sylvia Janschek Art Gallery, Austria