“Hazama(In between the two)”
It is difficult for me to explain this work in precise terms. This is the last picture of my wife being together with her mother, and it was photographed two days before she died. They had many hard experiences in life, and there were various factors in the context of this picture. I witnessed her painful last moments during four days from the unexpected notice of her terminal cancer until her death. I felt a distance extending between a dying person and a bereaved person; the former turning toward the more fundamental, whereas the latter staying in the real world with her mind in a state of confusion. At this ultimate diverging point between life and death, I could record, through photography as a medium, the most important moment of communication. My mother-in-law died on December 4 of last year, and my work was exhibited on the same day this year by chance, that is, the anniversary of her death. It seems miraculous to me, and I am thankful for everything.
I am currently producing works using diverse styles of expressions; photography, film, animation, painting, etc. I am still inexperienced, and feel as if each medium is still a dot, not yet a line. Among those dots, photographic expression provides me with a direct dialogue with the real world, and I can record the moments when the world passes through me. The world is always changing presenting different aspects. Looking through the viewfinder, I became aware that there is a very moment when power passes through me; it is the power of the subject that calls me out. I’m not choosing the subject. Now I believe that to search for this invisible power in this visible world and record it will form the basis of my photographic expressions.
1977: Born in Shizuoka Prefecture 1997: Entered Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and studied General Design 2000: Joined the Film Production Summer Session for Beginners, New York University 2001: Graduated from the Department of Design, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music 2001: His animation “GALLIVANT” won the grand prize in animation section of the short film competition “Short! Short!” His two animations were selected for the CG Creators’ Contest prize-winning works. 2003: His painting won a prize at “Tokyo Wonder Wall 2003” Exhibitions:2003: Solo exhibition of paintings, photos, and film at Nishi-azabu, Tokyo Group exhibition of paintings, photos, and film in Shizuoka Film at SFG-sponsored “Art Film Festival Vol.2” at Nakano, Tokyo 2004: Group exhibition of paintings at Aoyama, Tokyo Film at SFG-sponsored “Art Film Festival Vol.4” at Nakano
Selecting judge: Nobuyoshi Araki
He has grasped good moments and expressions on the faces. The dying mother and her daughter are laughing with tears in their eyes. Such expressions and their faces when they are weeping show that it is a thin line between crying and laughing. The photos clearly show such swing in their emotions. The work is filled with deep love, love for one's blood relation. Among cold and emotionless pictures, these photographs are truly outstanding and moving.
