Yuji Susaki

- Profile -

Yuji Susaki / Artist, Photographer

The housing complexes where I spent my childhood in the 1960s and early 1970s could be said to be a microcosm of Japan during its period of high economic growth. Hundreds of families live in dozens of geometric apartment complexes rising on a hill, working couples full of hope, and many energetic children. Every single one of them experienced Japan's economic growth. I grew up there, and from the time I could remember, I grew up as a child who was sensitive to the difference between light and shadow, such as the flowers and deciduous trees that bloom on the south side of the housing complex and the moss and ferns that fill the north side. Sharpness increases with each passing year. In addition, I spent my childhood influenced by fantastical works that seemed to depict the struggles of people at the time, in contrast to rapid economic growth. The imagination and delusional ideas cultivated from that time remain the basis of his work, known as infantilism. What I consider most important when creating is my own conscience and true feelings.

The ``conscience'' here refers to judgments made by reason, and the ``true feelings'' refer to the thoughts of the author as they wish. Of course, there are times when I conscientiously prioritize my own judgment as an author, and there are times when I genuinely think rationally. Simultaneously reflecting the conflict that occurs between these two elements in a work is fraught with risks and creates a kind of instability. However, although yin and yang, front and back, seem to be contradictory at first glance, I feel that they are actually one world.

The process of refining the sense in which ``conscience'' and ``true feelings'' assert each other in the work. This last-minute creation that takes you to the edge of art is what I am pursuing. I think I'm drawn to things that exist between "light" and "shadow."

By cutting out the "front" and "back" of humans, I create works that go deeper into "what is a human being?", and through the hidden culture and customs of Japan, I explore the world of "two sides of the same coin" that I smelled in my childhood. It's being reproduced.

exhibition

Award history

- Exhibition Information -

icon CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY×ROOTOTE in GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS

Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore will be holding the second installment of a collaboration project with CCC Art Lab, icon, which is holding a group exhibition "icon CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY" by artists focusing on contemporary photography, and ROOTOTE, a tote bag specialty store.

Printed works by Masumi Shiobara, Misato Kurimune, Kenji Hirasawa, and Yuji Susaki will also be exhibited and sold, as well as art photos based on the works of 13 photographers participating in icon (Tomohide Ikeya, Moeko Suzuki, Kumi Oguro, etc.) We will display and sell tote bags.

Date: March 6th (Wednesday) - April 2nd (Tuesday), 2024

*Ending date is subject to change.

Time: 10:30-21:00 *Ends at 17:00 on the last day

Venue: Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore Art Book Department

Address: GINZA SIX 6F, 6-10-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Sponsored by: Ginza Tsutaya Bookstore

Cooperation: icon CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY, ROOTOTE
Contact: 03-3575-7755 (during business hours) / info.ginza@ccc.co.jp