Nokomi

My childhood home is located on the banks of a small river in Japan. In the spring, carp begin swimming upstream to lay their eggs. They are called “nokomi.” For me, this is a sign that spring is on its way. In fact, over the years, a kind of friendship has developed between them and me. For this project, I used a type of Japanese paper called Mino-washi. It is made with water that originates in the mountainous region of Hida — the very same region that feeds the river where these carp swim. I then created a sensitive area using a brush to form a river-like pattern on the paper. Once revealed, this river welcomes my carp so they may swim there forever.

Title : Nokomi
Year : 2025
Print size : 32×96cm
Frame size : 41×107cm
Technics : Gelatine Silver print on Mino-washi
Edition : 8