Artist's Statement: “the other side”

Last spring, I went out to a suburb of Tokyo to take photos, bringing along my inner struggles.
I encountered a little tree-shaded path and let myself be absorbed into it.

It was dusk and nobody was there. It made me feel a little lonely, but my interest overruled my anxiety.

I kept questioning myself and thinking over and over on the path.

As I walked , the canopy of trees suddenly opened and I could see the roof of a house far away on the other side.

The forest draped in uncertainty

I am alone
going east, looking west
going west, looking east
heading nowhere
seeking noone
searching for nothing

I am captivated
just walking, and walking
until I notice
the space of the world
between ''this side '' and ''the other side"

I remember the day when I was looking out the window at the endless blue sky during hated math class in elementary school.
Suddenly, the teacher brought me back by force and my tears rolled down with surprise.
For a brief moment, I felt like I was floating alone in the different world even though I was sitting with everyone in the classroom.

I wonder what I was looking at then.

Planning a short trip?
Imagining the future?
Thinking about the dream world already lost?

Through photography, perhaps I scoop and collect my floating self and make a connection between ''this side'' and ''the other side''.

About the Artist

Born in Tokyo, Japan. Interested in different cultures since junior high school. Became interested in photography as the way of expression while visiting various countries. Studied photography in NY, Canada and Japan between 2001 and 2010, and have exhibited works in several solo and group exhibitions in Canada and Japan.