The landscapes spread in front of four lady photographers traveling around the world have now harmonized in one melody. The "KUU", not nihilism at all, originally means "relationship" enriched by emotion.

Every existence links together and relates each other. An "individual" separated from others never exists. The world is reflected in the sky where all the lives and existences link together. The blue of the sky makes us overlap the thoughts to the "KUU" with the sky. It is the endless transparent blue, and the"KUU"enrobes all existences. Every existence links one to another finally, to release us from the severe solitude.

- Yukie ASAMA

A certain wish hidden in each of original expression now creates a united world under the essence of "KUU" .

Photographers:

-Kimiko ISHIYAMA, facing seriously with present time by travelling in the world,
-Funiko NOZAWA, seizing the past time and pre-sentiment of future in vacant rooms for rent in Paris,
-Kayo YOSHIDA, searching for spirits linking to her roots through travels in Asian countries, and
-Marlene MARINO, describing the time in Havana, her home town, hiding her sentiments of life in exile.

Kimiko ISHIYAMA
Born in 1947 in Akita. Lives and works in Tokyo. Positively participates in many group exhibitions in Paris, Berlin, Hanoi (Vietnam) and Tokyo. Participates without interruption in "Nagasare yuku hibi (days passing through)" , the long run series of essay started in 1984 at the Gendai, evening paper in collaboration with Hiroyuki ITSUKI, one of the most famous novelists in Japan.

Fumiko NOZAWA
Lives and works in New York. Awarded as a finalist of "New Cosmos of Photography" prize. "Mother' s drawers" , her first remarkable series clearly describes personal sentiment and memory with photography.

Kayo YOSHIDA
Born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture. Lives and works in Tokyo. Learnt in the photo school and workshop. Now concentrates on her own works. This is her very first participation in the major group exhibition.

Marlene MARINO
Born in Virginia, United States of America. Lives and works in New York. Studied art and philosophy in New York before starting photographic practice in 1999. First exhibition at American fine arts, NY was curated by Colin De Land. Published the project Cuba 2009, as a special edition for Purple Fashion Magazine, to whom she contributes regularly.

Curated by Naoko OHTA (GALLERY 21)