一掬　-Slight Fragments-

The traditional rhythms of Japanese life are still very much alive in the place where I was born. Shinto and Buddhism are both reflected everywhere, bringing the shape of Japan into view, with all its severity and tolerance. In a world caught up in a whirlwind of religion, ethnicity and emotion, the religion and politics of Japan are not connected. In fact, the instinctual idea that something should be protected does not exist in our consciousness. This absence makes Japan a rare country which allows individual freedom. For this reason, our general dexterity, the purity, it feels as if all this is being destroyed by precisely that freedom. Even if we don’t go as far as criticizing civilization, I fear that we as human beings will soon be excluded from the category of living creatures. That means I have a sense of crisis because all living creatures have the unconscious instinct of protecting their birthplace, and I am afraid humanity might be losing that basic sense. In wanting to express this concern, for me, my mode of communication is shooting photographs. In contrast to our daily life, the time of those born on this planet flows slowly and steadily beyond the conduct of people. By framing that posture, I believe I can activate the unconscious instinct of living creatures that lies dormant within us. How far can I go without a lens, with just the smallest of pinholes letting in a sliver of light? By sharing my images created by the simplest form of camera, I hope the images reach out to the viewers and evoke feelings. And if I succeed, I would like to receive back slight fragments of these feelings in return.