For Her, Photography is Just One Tool for Expression

My advice to fans visiting RAT HOLE this time is that it would be a shame to see her solely as a photographer. During the exhibition, RAT HOLE is also selling her past art books, so I hope you will also look at her sculptural works and drawings to feel her worldview.



Normally, when you meet an artist you like, you might say, "I love your photographs" or "I love your music." But with her, all I can say is, "I love your sensibility." For her, photography is just one tool. Of course, the subject matter itself is important, but in her case, how she presents it is arguably more crucial. In that sense, her sculptures, drawings, and photographs are all expressions of her sensibility. And that sensibility is enveloped in a highly tense, mathematical aesthetic.

For example, her sculptural works possess a tension, like fine threads stretched taut across the entire space, reminiscent of Japanese rock gardens. Her drawings, in turn, evoke the feeling of looking at precise blueprints. I believe that pure photographers tend to be more literary, but she is completely in the realm of science and mathematics. And her work makes the viewer feel as if they are being tested.

An Exhibition Meaningful in Tokyo

She has shown her work in various countries, but she herself said that exhibiting in Japan, and specifically in Tokyo, allowed her to confront something that felt intensely charged. She described it as a different feeling from exhibiting in Paris, attributing it to Tokyo's highly urban sensibility combined with Japan's traditional minimalist and solid aesthetic.

She also loved the city of Tokyo itself and, as I mentioned last time, was very fond of this gallery. Our conversation flowed, and by the end, we were even discussing the possibility of exhibiting sculptures in a year or two. She also mentioned bringing her niece along, which, if it happens, I believe would be quite fascinating. After all, for this particular series, in addition to the cleverness of its execution and the sheer beauty of the photographs, the personality of the child who served as the subject is a major highlight. Her expressions during this crucial period, as she began to transition from childhood to a nascent awareness of adulthood, were truly captivating, shifting like a kaleidoscope. This work would never have come into being without her talent.