Rinko Kawauchi's Quiet Photography Reveals the Sacred in the Ordinary
Rinko Kawauchi, who hails from Shiga, Japan, was born in 1972 and graduated in 1993 with a degree in graphic design and photography from Seian University of Art and Design. She started her career in commercial photography but later shifted to fine art. In 2001, she made a splash in the art scene by releasing three photobooks—Utatane, Hanabi, and Hanako—at once, which led to her receiving the Kimura Ihei Award. Some of her notable works include Aila, Cui Cui, Illuminance, Ametsuchi, Murmuration, and Halo. Her style is characterized by unique sequencing and juxtapositions, often tying back to Shinto beliefs about nature and spirits.
Key facts
- Rinko Kawauchi was born in Shiga, Japan, in 1972.
- She graduated from Seian University of Art and Design in 1993.
- She released three photobooks in 2001: Utatane, Hanabi, and Hanako.
- She won the Kimura Ihei Award for her early books.
- Her photobooks include Aila, Cui Cui, Illuminance, Ametsuchi, Murmuration, and Halo.
- Ametsuchi centers on Mount Aso and the yakihata ritual.
- Halo includes images from Japan, China, and the United Kingdom.
- She photographed murmurations during the Brighton Photo Biennial in 2010.
- Cui Cui documents family life over more than a decade.
- The river embraced me project in Kumamoto used resident-submitted memories.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Seian University of Art and Design
- Brighton Photo Biennial
Locations
- Shiga
- Japan
- Mount Aso
- Izumo
- China
- United Kingdom
- Kumamoto
- Brighton
Sources
- AATONAU —