黑料不打烊

Hinata Okazaki won the Grand Prize in the 25th 鈥�1_WALL鈥� Photography Competition for 鈥淪himmer on Water,鈥� in which she photographed the small village (population: 1,942) in Wakayama Prefecture where she was born and raised, her focus directed on what is gradually being lost as a result of urbanization. The judges applauded the strength of Okazaki鈥檚 photos, which have an appeal transcending words, as well as her ability to select photographs with unerring sense.

In her solo exhibition, Okazaki will show her photos gleaned from the everyday lives of the people who live in her hometown village and surrounding villages: a close-up of the mouth of a horse ridden in the horseback archery (yabusame) event at the local festival; a man burning the festoon decorations from the o-bon holiday; people gathered to take the first swim of the season; a fisherman holding up a crab against the backdrop of the dawning sky; a child heading toward a festival, dressed in a mawashi loincloth. From Okazaki鈥檚 photos we can see how, even today, Japan鈥檚 ancient culture and beliefs remain deeply rooted in people鈥檚 lives; how they enjoy the blessings of the sea, mountains, forests, rivers and living creatures; and how they live by sharing and aiding one another. Okazaki, who knows both the urban landscape of constant change and the village where culture continues unchanged, aims, by making renewed awareness of Japan鈥檚 ancient culture and photographing village life in the present, to pass on to future generations the culture she holds so dear.