On April 29, still exhausted from Sant Jordi, we inaugurated a new edition, and already the 4th of Emergence Tokyo, once more sponsored by Michael Harris, which brought together six photographers of different styles around the Emergence theme, as defined by Wikipedia: "systems present a series of high-level emergent properties that are not specifically associated with any particular part of the system but result from the operation of the whole." The exhibition was also advertised in the specialized press.
Please note: All photos have been made using a cellphone.
This time the team consisted of three Japanese and three foreigners, all passionate about photography, and each with their own style. Despite there being quite eclectic styles, there was a common passion for photography, in all its dimensions.
Akio Nakai (中飯 明央). Akio presented his Polaroid of Flower collection, with absolutely fantastic photos of flowers taken using a Polaroid. Because we were neighbours on the ground floor of Terranova House, the exhibition site, we talked a lot, and he taught me a great deal about the Polaroid world, and its infinite possibilities. There are different models, different lens, from the most classic to the most modern (with control by WiFi). He plays with the many photographic papers existing on the market, and gets some admirable results; he is a master. His technique for making portraits is also formidable. He took advantage of the presence of friends and visitors to make a small collection. Really, I discovered a new world of photography, many thanks Akio! (And for the music too). He also has an Instagram account.
Michelle Inaner. Michelle presented us with her series "LIFE IS A DREAM". Images depicting events lived in recent years and feelings that have been difficult for her to express in words. Colour images, with their personal touch, colour and analogue movement of great sensitivity. Through photography, it aims to create scenes that cause calm the spirit. And this series began when she fell in love with some blurred photos she had made by mistake. And she decided that she would continue to do them. You can see more of her works here.
Enrique Medina. With a very elegant and thorough presentation and display, Enrique showed us his Play series, which is StreetPhotography, with black and white images, very contrasted, in his usual style, and spectacular scenes from the streets of Tokyo. We could also see very successful double exposures that showed incredible abstract conceptual images. He also has an Instagram account, and has showed his work in LensCulture.
Tadashi Onishi. This member of VoidTokyo gave us a collection of photos of his project Years, which is a project that has been presented in books, one for each month of the year, with photos made over 10 years. At the exhibition he presented twelve months of the year with photos of daily life, most notably Shinjuku. This project is in black and white with the strong contrasts characteristic of Japanese street photographers. On the other hand, he also presented a few photos of his Rozou project, which basically aims to exhibit StreetPhotography directly on the street and for free, by projecting several artists’ works directly onto the street. He also has an Instagram account.
Sakurako Nagaiwa. Sakurako gave us impressive, gigantic portraits, in full colour, of unmatched resolution. As she told us, on one of her trips to Milan (Italy) she asked a series of Signoras, which is also the title of her work, whether they would let her make portraits of their faces. These portraits’ components grasp the nature of the subject, from the precious texture of the skin to the small details of the decorative accessories that they carry with all their Italian naturalness. You can see more of her works in here.
And these were my fellow exhibition members. Mine? That's another story!