At 87, Japanese photographer Kikuji Kawada shows no signs of slowing down. A founding member of the influential VIVO group and internationally recognized for his photographic work, Kawada's latest photo book, "20," is comprised of images Kawada originally uploaded to his Instagram page between 2019 and 2020.
\n
\n"In this tapestry of thirty images, there is neither a dominant atmosphere of beginning nor a hint of imminent end. There is no rhythmic intensity or diminuendo, no rhyming patterns of color and shape. Instead, the images spread like mushrooms, pollinating each other as they mutate. Sometimes the images occur as echoes across dimensions of time and space; other times they conjure up shadows that pass by. And visions crawl freely across the ground, or float in the air, where the mirage of an invisible city flickers.
\n
\nIn 2020, in the midst of an epidemic, wandering visions may seem like a grotesque allegory. Yet the story they weave is far from new. Producing their own sounds, they advance into the abysses of the imagination. I am aware that at any moment, they could lose momentum.
\n
\n"I want to continue. For now, the sky is still bright and the shadow in front of me has not yet faded." - excerpt from the artist's statement
\n
\nThe title of her latest photo book "20" was a suggestion from book designer Hikari Machiguchi and editor Yohei Kawada, whom Kawada met through her Instagram account in 2020.
