Arisa Kasai “dots”

A series of dots form a line,
A set of lines form a plane,
A number of planes form a sphere, and,
A sphere makes a world.

When traveling, the pictures I take work like this: every picture of a given encounter is a dot. The story told by those dots forms a line. As those lines increase in number and intersect, a world unfolds and the plot deepens.
In Australia, I ran into a woman playing the harmonica. She called me over and began her sermon: “The earth belongs to no one; it simply exists. Everything in this world is a blessing from the earth.” It was a brief encounter, but her words are still stuck in my head.
If I didn’t travel, the things I did not see, the stories I could not tell and the pictures I did not take would just keep growing.
I’ll travel the world again, to photograph the stories that are out there.

Arisa Kasai Profile

Born in Yokohama. Studied English literature at Aoyama Gakuin Women’s Junior College before graduating in art/photography from San Francisco State University. After returning to Japan, apprenticed for Eiichiro Sakata. Has worked independently since 2010. Based out of Tokyo, is currently active taking pictures for advertisements, magazines, catalogs, websites, etc. Has her exhibitions in Japan and abroad with travel as a theme unto itself.

Official website

＜Awards＞

2015

16th Ueno Hikoma Awards, “Kyushu Sangyo University Prize”

2014

63rd Asahi Advertising Award

＜Exhibitions＞

2016

“Kurashiki Fotomural f” Kurashiki Ivy Square, Okayama (Japan)

2016

“NO WHERE, NO HERE” Sony Imaging Gallery, Tokyo (Japan)

2016

“Ueno Hikoma Awards Exhibition” Higashikawa Bunka Gallery, Hokkaido (Japan)
Kagoshima City Museum of Art, Kagoshima (Japan) Fukuoka City Museum, Fukuoka (Japan) Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum, Nagasaki (Japan)

2015

“Ueno Hikoma Awards Exhibition "Tokyo Metropolitan Theater Gallery, Tokyo (Japan)
Kyushu Sangyo University Museum, Fukuoka (Japan)

2012

“WA Project 2012” Charity Photo Auction for the Tohoku Earthquake of 3.1172 Gallery, Tokyo (Japan)

2007

“San Franciscans” Photo Gallery International, Tokyo (Japan)

2004

“CONVERSION” Magnolia Editions Gallery, Oakland, CA (USA)

Koto Takei “Koma Trip”

This movie series fuses “stop-motion animation” and “dance” from the forests of Kitakaruizawa. For this exhibition, I have added two new works from “Kameyama, Mie Prefecture” and “Asakusa, Tokyo” to my previous solo exhibition “To the Forest”. So, I am showing a combination of animation and prints.

While making the animation, I met a variety of people, saw all kinds of landscapes, and learned about diverse histories and cultures. The air and way that time passed were different in each location and were physically stimulating. I hope that this exhibition plays out like a journey as much for you as it was for me.

Koto Takei Profile

Born in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated in Body Expression and Cinematic Arts from the College of Contemporary Psychology at Rikkyo University. Studied classic ballet as a child and contemporary dance in high school. Became interested in photography and graphic animation in the same period and made and showed a stop-motion animated film with dolls titled “Boku no Sekken” (My Soap). Worked at an amusement park while in college. After working as a performer for 3 years, took part in the “Dance Ryugaku in Kobe New-comer Showcase #5” promoted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and NPO Dance Box. Got involved in making films that fuse dance and stop-motion animation, showing her work both in Japan and abroad. Pursues free ex-pression beyond the bounds of any single genre, such as by performing in local art festivals and theatrical works.

Official website

＜Awards＞

2009

11th TBS Digicon6 Student Award

2009

Media & Content Gran Prix, High School Category, Honorable Mention

2010

TAF 2010 9th Tokyo Anime Awards, Open Category, Winner

2017

Kameyama Triennale 2017 Award

Yuki Naito “Memories ON SALE #3”

The purpose of this project is to sell certain memories of mine to others. I tell the story of each memory only to the person who has bought it and signed a legally binding contract which clearly states that the ownership of the memory has shifted to the buyer (that he/she will never talk about it to anyone). The question behind this project is, now that we can buy almost any sort of thing with money, what will we want to buy next - memories maybe? This time memory is that “Yuki Naito was caught in a landslide, slipped down, was suffered injuries, got lost in the mountain and was nearly died while climbing up the mountain alone in Patagonia, South America, but and survived a week.”

Kohei Hase “pictorial “S” another”

I find dried flowers odd. They have an inexplicable beauty both alive and naturally withered, despite the completely different states.
Looking back, curiosity is what drove me to first photograph them because I was attracted to their exceptional shape and texture, and deep colors. Before I realized it, I was enchanted.
Perhaps what has fascinated people about them for so long is an esthetic presence that seems to have been magically frozen in time.
All of these photographs were taken in a studio. Within that encapsulated space, I was very conscious of the “S” concepts while going one-on-one with each of these dried flowers.

Subject・・・

Observe the subject from all possible angles and determine which offers the best shot for what you want to express.

Simple・・・

Narrow down the elements of your shot to the bare essentials needed to bring out what interests you in the subject.

Sketch・・・

Snap the photo as if instantaneously painting a picture with light.

Though common sense today, I will continue to emphasize these concepts in my work going forward.
(From “Pictorial ‘S’” of 2017)

This exhibition is a sequel to the “Pictorial ‘S’” exhibition that was held at Sony Imaging Gallery in 2017. This is a pet theme that I have continued to pursue beyond that first exhibition, so I am truly grateful for this opportunity to show my work under this same theme again.

Kohei Hase Profile

Born in Tokyo in 1987. Graduated in photography from the College of Art at Nihon University. While in college, apprenticed for photographer Tokuryo Oya. Currently works as a photographer at the Harimazaka Studio operated by the Media Solutions Department of Cosmo Graphic Co., Ltd, a Kyodo Printing Group company, where mainly engaged in advertisement photography.

＜Awards＞

2006

2006 Nadar Style 3552nd Photo Contest, “Silver Award”

2009

34th JPS Exhibition, Under 22 Category, “Best Work”

2011

36th JPS Exhibition, “Winner” Pictorico Photo Contest 2010, “GEKKO Award” and “Winner”

2012

APA Award 2012, “Winner” Pictorico Photo Contest 2011, “Mitsubishi Paper Mills Award”

2014

39th JPS Exhibition, “Winner” Pictorico Photo Contest 2013-2014, “Monochrome Award”

2015

40th JPS Exhibition, “Winner” APA Award 2016,“Winner

＜Solo Exhibitions＞

2009

“... of, after” Canon Gallery Ginza

2013

“andante” Canon Gallery Sendai

2013

“andante” Kichijoji Gallery

2016

“Battle Cry” Canon Gallery Ginza/Nagoya/Sendai

2017

“pictorial ‘S’” Sony Imaging Gallery

＜Publications＞

2012

“andante” photo collection, Bungeisha