TOKYO in B&W - The Forumist

WHO: OSAMU JINGUJI

WHAT: PHOTOGRAPHER

WHERE: KANAGAWA, JAPAN

TOPICS: BLACK+WHITE, STREET, ABSTRACT, CITY LIFE, ARCHITECTURE, CONCEPTUAL, PORTRAIT, DOLLS, PERFORMERS, LIVE+STAGE

After living and working in Tokyo’s 24/7 urban sensory deluge for thirty years, black and white photographer Osamu Jinguji has left the city’s heart in search of a simpler life, on the outskirts in Kanagawa. One might imagine that the ominous discord depicted in his shots begs for a calmer environment in order for Jinguji to maintain personal balance but, in fact, his reasons for relocation veer more towards the practical;

– I moved to be able to take pictures on the main streets, off-streets and in the buildings, whenever I’d like to, without a hassle.

With a degree in Theater from the Art Department at Nihon University, in 1980 Junguji began a long career as an actor and model that ultimately proved unsatisfying. He needed more.

– I made a decision to live as an artist again. After 25 years of twist and turns, I finally decided to become a photographer. I love it and it suits my current lifestyle. So, it means being a photographer must be my last resort to survive in this world.

Jinguji’s last resort is a tableau of densely gorgeous melancholic photos with overt apocalyptic overtones. Survival and mortality are explored through surreal images of mannequins and dolls juxtaposed with those of small children and the elderly.

– I gouge into the unconscious. Space-time with no boundaries, human consciousness, or invisible phenomenon – I pour my interpretation, aesthetics, philosophy, the soul in there so that it revives as part of my ego, consciousness or memory.

His work has gained the admiration of influential collectors and galleries and is currently featured as part of art+commerce’s PhotoVogue digital collection. While Jinguji seeks to expand his reach with leading media enterprises, his photographs can also be viewed in a series of overseas exhibitions.

– I take photos, and turn them in it into my personal unique artwork, hopefully they will inspire the viewer. It’s an endless cycle, I hope. I live out my life as a unique artist with a great satisfaction.