RISAKU SUZUKI
“Sakura”
April 8 - May 27, 2021.
As we start to hopefully see some light at the end of the tunnel, we are pleased to exhibit shows that have been delayed due to the pandemic. Of all these shows, perhaps the most timely is Risaku Suzuki’s “Sakura” or “Cherry Blossom” series. The show opens at Danziger at Fetterman in Los Angeles on April 8.
One of Japan’s most eminent photographers, Risaku Suzuki has been working for over 30 years capturing the natural world in both an individual and a quintessentially Japanese style. While he has created series on mountains, seas, snow, and Monet’s gardens, he has returned to the subject of cherry blossoms for over 20 years, in a manner that is at once timeless and contemporary. Up to 61 inches in scale, Suzuki’s “Sakura” are more than pretty pictures. Each individual image is a play between sky and flower, positive and negative space, line and form - as well as a contemplation of nature and the preciousness of every moment.
In Suzuki’s own words:
When I stand under a cherry tree and look up at the blossoms, I always feel as if I’m floating. The blossoms continue beyond my field of vision, each shimmering so beautifully. It is impossible to see them all.
I’ve been photographing cherry blossoms (sakura) for 20 years, trying to capture and convey this experience. I use 4 x 5 and 8 x 10 inch film cameras to make large-format prints. I narrow the depth of field to a single point and let the foreground and background go out of focus.
In “Sakura,” the blossoms of the intersecting branches appear melded together as one, making it difficult to distinguish the foreground from the the background. My work is about the experience of time and vision. The beauty of the sakura lies in the brevity of their blossoming, so I must rush to photograph their brilliance and vitality. I photograph sakura not as the conventional symbol of Japanese beauty but as an expression of the presence of time.
Born in 1963 in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, Risaku Suzuki currently lives and works in Tokyo. In addition to exhibiting his pictures in exhibitions around the world, Suzuki has received many prizes, including the Kimura Ihei Award, the most renowned award in the field of photography in Japan.