Rinko Kawauchi
AS IT IS
Photographs and text: Rinko Kawauchi
Editorial direction: Nao Amino and Cécile Poimbœuf-Koizumi
Graphics: Akiko Wakabayashi
Published by Chose Commune , 2020
Book size 18 x 23 cm
Pages 144 pages + 18 inserts with text
Softcover
Language French and English
ISBN 979-10-96383-17-7
A blue sky. A shimmering river. The birth of a new life. These are the first three photographs from Rinko Kawauchi's book “As it is”. This new body of work returns to Kawauchi's earlier photographic focus on her personal universe through family, memory and time. This book presents a succession of mundane moments and gestures ― a spider's web, a bowl of rice, a small hand pointing at an insect ― along with more significant ones ― her daughter's first steps, family outings, the passing of a close relative. The personal narrative of the book is punctuated by a photograph of a kitchen window witnessing the passing of the seasons, and short texts by Kawauchi herself interspersed in the sequence. The pages navigate between the inside and the outside, always within close distance as, through her unique eye, Kawauchi effortlessly catches the fleeting beauty of the in-between moments, telling the story of an ordinary family going through life just as it is.
This book was made in close collaboration with Japanese publisher torch press.
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A blue sky. A sparkling river. The birth of a new life. These are the first three photographs from Rinko Kawauchi's book "As it is." With this new work, the photographer delves back into her personal world through themes that are dear to her: family, memory, and time. This book presents a succession of trivial moments and gestures—a spider's web, a bowl of rice, a small hand pointing at an insect—and more important moments—her daughter's first steps, family outings, the death of a loved one. This personal story is punctuated by photographs of the kitchen window testifying to the passing of the seasons, short texts by Rinko Kawauchi scattered throughout the sequence, and numerous back-and-forths between the interior and exterior, always with the same proximity. Through her unique perspective, Rinko Kawauchi simply captures the ephemeral beauty of suspended moments, and tells the story of an ordinary family going through life "as it is."
This book was designed and produced in close collaboration with the Japanese publishing house Torch Press.