Born in Kochi City in 1952. Graduated from Mechanical Department of Kochi Technical
High School, and then Osaka Photography Graduate School, Osaka, Japan.
A member of Japan Photographers Association (JPA)
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
- 1999
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Fellowship, International Center of Photography
(ICP), New York, USA
- 2002
- Tokuyama City Museum Permanent Collection as recipient of the 11th Tadahiko
Hayashi Photography Award (Title: “A Story Of the New York Subway.”)
- 2004
- Kodak Photo Salon, Tokyo (Title: “A Journey to Siberia: Memories of my
Father.”)
- 2005
- OK Harris Works of Art, New York (Title: “New York Days, New York Nights”)
ARKA Gallery, Vladivostok, Russia (Title: “Vladivostok Daytime.”)
- 2006
- Joint Exhibition with Kami City Museum of Art, Kochi (Title: “Thinking on Peace
- A Siberian Perspective.”)
- 2010
- Kodak Photo Salon, Tokyo (Title: “My Journey to Siberia.”)
- 2011
- Arlatino Gallery in Arles, France (Title: “New York Offer.”)
- 2013
- Chicago museum collection, USA (Title: “Notes from Underground: Memories
of my Uncle.”)
Laurence Miller Gallery, New York (Title: “Notes from Underground: Memories
of my Uncle.”)
- 2014
- De La Salle College Of Saint Benilde School Of Design Arts in Philippines Professor
Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service: Visiting Lecturer in Photography
- 2016
- THE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW / AIPAD, Park Avenue Armory, N.Y.C.
Sony Imaging Gallery, Tokyo (Title: “Manila Late Night Diary”)
- 2017
- Laurence Miller Gallery, New York (Title: “The Big Apple from Tycoon to Raccoons”)
- 2019
- JULIE SAUL GALLERY, New York (Title: “ The Space Between Curated by Edna Cardinale”)
The memory of the first James Bond movie I saw as a child, Goldfinger, is still vivid in my mind even though I am over 60 years old now. The car Sean Connery’s classic agent used was an Aston Martin equipped with bulletproof windows, missile launchers, machine guns, and a device that could jettison the person sitting in the passenger seat out of the car. It also had a navigation system, a futuristic accessory at that time. It was a dream car for a 12-year-old boy who watched in awe. I was overwhelmed and riveted by this film with powerful images accompanied by a beautiful music soundtrack.
The love scene with Connery and actress Shirley Eaton, one of the Bond Girls, was something beyond anything I’d ever seen in movies with Japanese actresses. I was excited with the feeling that I was secretly peeping in on a world whose access was not allowed to kids.
When I arrived in New York City during my first visit to the United States in 1995, I was instantly reminded of the feeling I had watching Goldfinger as a child. The city’s culture that cherished artists and exuded an atmosphere of American expressionism sucked me right in.
At the same time, I cannot deny I was also gripped by the fear of racism that I knew to be an integral part of American society. As a Japanese, I was bewildered as to how I should deal with my feelings about it. So for me, being in New York in 1995 was a mixed bag of fear and excitement. But I was so enchanted by the city that I pushed through my anxiety and ended up visiting it numerous times - I’ve truly lost count - to capture its images in my photos. And I learned that my initial fears were generally unfounded.
Today, with Donald Trump’s stormy reign as President of the United States, my fascination with New York has been reinvigorated. I am curious about how his tenure as the nation’s leader has affected his hometown. I wonder how New York, with its respect for artists, will face its future now that President Trump is hoisting the banner of white supremacy and creating a harsher atmosphere across the land. How will the city - with its traditionally steely atmosphere - change?
In these next series of photos, I want to revisit that Goldfinger-inspired feeling I had when I first visited the city while also exploring its place in an America with an uncertain future.
Kazuo Sumida