Rinko Kawauchi, Photographer

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Rinko Kawauchi is a Japanese photographer whose work depicts ordinary moments in a poetic way. Her work is rooted in Shinto, the ethnic religion of the people of Japan, and uses this as a catalyst for capturing small events that pass by. She was awarded an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society in 2012.

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Immediate Family,
by Sally Mann

"This is a volume I’ve read over numerous times, as it was the first photography collection that I ever owned — acquired from when I first started taking photographs. The works within have about them such a tranquil, effortless sense of time — so much so that the viewer does not sense the amount of time, effort, and work it takes to photograph young children with a large-format camera. In observing how she has captured the children, one can see both her perception as a mother, as well as the calm, collected gaze of a photographer. Seeing both viewpoints present in the work is an intriguing experience.."

 

Until Everything Becomes a Photograph,
by Tazuko Masuyama

"A woman’s collection of over 100,000 photographs, taken from age 60 until age 88, when she died. The subject matter focuses on her hometown, gradually disappearing due to the construction of a dam. The photographer continued taking photographs with a simple vision — to leave behind something for her town to be remembered by. In looking at them, I am reminded of my own first, fresh ambition in becoming a photographer, while filled with emotion."

 

Portrait : Christine Furuya-Gössler, 1978-1985,
by Seiichi Furuya

"A volume detailing one photographer’s account of a single woman, as told through photographs and text. The book first came into my possession about 15 years ago — I’ve read over it many times, and its piquancy seems to inspire me each time that I do."