Shigekazu Onuma

Shigekazu Onuma has worked extensively in advertising and magazine photography, publishing his first book, Hello My Name is Shigekazu Onuma, in 2001. This self-titled publication was released for an exhibition at limArt Gallery in Tokyo in 2011. It contains his recent work from the time, along with a selection of photographs from his previous exhibition, Seisai, which was held at Foil Gallery in 2009. The images are printed on thin, ink-heavy glossy pages, highlighting the depth and clarity of Onuma's work, and perhaps also referencing his background in magazine work. The photographs are minimal in nature, and never focus on more than one thing at a time. Elements of nature (rocks, fire, water, clouds) are mixed with shots of hands, hair, and the human form. This structure not only explores the relationship between humans and nature, but also unfolds as an open-ended and distant series of dream states. Most of the images are composed with a dark sense of color, giving the book a twilight setting full of blacks, greys, and overcast skies. The main exception to this theme is one of the first images in the book of hands illuminated by a psychedelic pink and smoky light. This is one of the standout images in the book, and its inclusion adds to the magical, mysterious mood captured throughout its pages. Small, well-edited books like this often have the greatest effect on me, most likely because I always wish they weren't over so soon.