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    • Falke photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
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    • IMPOLITESSE photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • STROLL IN PARIS photographed by Iris Brosch
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    • BACK IN THE DAYS photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
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    • BLOOM photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • HELLO WORLD illustrated by Louise Folly
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    • ON THE VERGE OF A DREAM by Jorun Larson
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    • Ab-o-Atash photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • FLUORITE FANTASIA ( Looking For My Father…) photographed by Yukari Chikura
    • WHEN THE SEA COMES photographed by Alice de Kruijs
    • WONDERLAND photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • FADING BEAUTY photographed by Thymournia
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    • THE ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY photographed by Hannah Häseker
    • ZAIDO photographed by Yukari Chikura
    • LOVE WITH A VIEW directed by Monsieur Mitri
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    • PLAY OF LIGHT photographed by Alexander Binder
    • FALL OF THE RAVEN photographed by Thymournia
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    • DAZE photographed by PERRINE SOCQUET
    • TIDES IN WINTER photographed by Steffen Klessen
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    • TRAUM photographed by Alexander Binder
    • BROKEN HOMELAND photographed by Thierry Mazurel
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    • CRUSH photographed by Gabriele Renna
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    • LIFE, DEATH AND OTHER SIMILAR THINGS photographed by Amin Yousefi
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    • ROCK-A-NORE photographed by Andreas Bleckmann
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    • DEVOTED by Susanne Middelberg
    • THE ESSENCE captured by Ksenia Gintsak
    • DREAMS OF PAPER AND SILVER by Stephen Sheffield
    • LA FRITURE DU NORD photographed by Myra Mirfakhrai
    • MURIELLE photographed by Arta Buneta
    • DOGTOWN photographed by Stephen Lorber
    • JOHANNA photographed by Arta Buneta
    • MELANIE photographed by Camille Roussely
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    • BRISA ROCHE photographed by Andrea Herzog
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    • SARAH MARIE photographed by Sebastian Trägner
    • JURI SENFT photographed by Sofia Zwokbenkel
    • CLARA MÜGGE photographed by Sebastian Trägner
    • CATHLEEN BAUMANN photographed by Sofia Zwokbenkel 
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LetKiss the unpretentious magazine

  • FASHION WEEKS
    • FASHION REPORT RAF SIMONS FALL / WINTER 2022
  • THE UNSTYLISH VIEW ON STYLE
    • ARINA photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • MARCO ANTONIO photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • NAOUEL photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • FRANÇOIS photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • Falke photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • LEA photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • BEHNAZ photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • GYVER photographed by Myra
    • RACHELLA photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • CLOSE-UP with Jovei Blink
    • DANA photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • NAZAR photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
  • STYLE
    • FEELING DAISY photographed Viola Halfar
    • WISHLIST by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • WORKWEAR photographed by Noel Besuzzi 
    • TEXTURE photographed by Jean Michel Rousvoal
    • VOLLMOND photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • WORLD IN MY EYES photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • #metime photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • MAKE UP TUTORIAL NUDE COUTURE by Silène Tonello
    • ANGEL photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • MAKE UP TUTORIAL NUDE GLOW by Silène Tonello
    • ABLOHve illustrated by Louise Folly
    • MAKE UP MY MIND by Silène Tonello
    • BIRD OF PARADISE photographed by Juliette Lambard
    • SOLO photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • SERENITY photographed by Juliette Lambard
    • VITAMIN C illustrated by Louise Folly
    • IMPOLITESSE photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • STROLL IN PARIS photographed by Iris Brosch
    • ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CIRCUS photographed by Valérie Mathilde
    • BACK IN THE DAYS photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • LADY BUTTERFLY photographed by Kei Takeda
    • BLOOM photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • HELLO WORLD illustrated by Louise Folly
    • BLURRED photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • THE VISITORS photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • SHADES OF ORANGE photographed by Robertino Nikolic
  • PAS DE DEUX
    • ON THE VERGE OF A DREAM by Jorun Larson
    • زن زندگی آزادی WOMAN LIFE FREEDOM by Marjane Saidi
    • Ab-o-Atash photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • FLUORITE FANTASIA ( Looking For My Father…) photographed by Yukari Chikura
    • WHEN THE SEA COMES photographed by Alice de Kruijs
    • WONDERLAND photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • FADING BEAUTY photographed by Thymournia
    • PARADISE ISLAND photographed by Alice De Kruijs
    • THE ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY photographed by Hannah Häseker
    • ZAIDO photographed by Yukari Chikura
    • LOVE WITH A VIEW directed by Monsieur Mitri
  • NATURE
    • UNDERWATER by Sabine Hartl
    • FLOWER POWER photographed by Sabine Hartl
    • PLAY OF LIGHT photographed by Alexander Binder
    • FALL OF THE RAVEN photographed by Thymournia
    • THE COLD RIDERS photographed by Alexis Pichot
    • DAZE photographed by PERRINE SOCQUET
    • TIDES IN WINTER photographed by Steffen Klessen
    • OZONE-FRIENDLY photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • TRAUM photographed by Alexander Binder
    • BROKEN HOMELAND photographed by Thierry Mazurel
  • STRUCTURE
    • PLACES, SPACES photographed by Nina Papiorek
    • A MOVEABLE FEAST photographed by Sara Ghazi-Tabatabai
    • IS IT REAL? by Marcus Wallinder
    • PARIS26THFLOOR photographed by Petrov Ahner
    • CRUSH photographed by Gabriele Renna
    • WINDOWS OF NEW HOPE – THE REFUGEE CAMP IN HANOVER photographed by Kaisar Ahamed
    • LIFE, DEATH AND OTHER SIMILAR THINGS photographed by Amin Yousefi
  • DANCE STEPS
    • VALERIIA photographed by Arta Buneta
    • ROCK-A-NORE photographed by Andreas Bleckmann
    • MUSE JONNA by Waldemar Brzezinski
    • PRIVATE SETTING by Birgit Kleber
    • OH HAPPY DAY by Wilken Weddings
    • DEVOTED by Susanne Middelberg
    • THE ESSENCE captured by Ksenia Gintsak
    • DREAMS OF PAPER AND SILVER by Stephen Sheffield
    • LA FRITURE DU NORD photographed by Myra Mirfakhrai
    • MURIELLE photographed by Arta Buneta
    • DOGTOWN photographed by Stephen Lorber
    • JOHANNA photographed by Arta Buneta
    • MELANIE photographed by Camille Roussely
    • PORTRAITS photographed by Dascha Ha
    • SHERE HITE with Iris Brosch
    • FAITH photographed by Claudia Otto
    • BRANDENBURG photographed by Maria Jatzlau
    • LETKISS CRIBS FEAT. ELENA RENÉE PEREIRA
    • HALFWAY THERE photographed by Arta Buneta
    • LETKISS CRIBS FEAT. CARMEN KERWER
    • LETKISS CRIBS FEAT. CAROLIN SOPHIE LAFLEUR
    • LETKISS CRIBS feat. Lumi Lausas
    • PEOPLE R photographed by Kai Heimberg
    • BRISA ROCHE photographed by Andrea Herzog
    • OH! DARLING with Uwe Buschmann
    • CLARA BENADOR photographed by Juliette Lambard
    • SARAH MARIE photographed by Sebastian Trägner
    • JURI SENFT photographed by Sofia Zwokbenkel
    • CLARA MÜGGE photographed by Sebastian Trägner
    • CATHLEEN BAUMANN photographed by Sofia Zwokbenkel 
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"ZAIDO japanese festival"
  • PAS DE DEUX

ZAIDO photographed by Yukari Chikura

  • December 19, 2020
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ZAIDO
photographed by
Yukari Chikura

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

Who is Yukari Chikura?
I am Yukari Chikura, I was born in Tokyo, Japan. After I graduated with a music degree, I became a music composer, arranger and computer programmer. I won the STEIDL BOOK AWARD and my work was published by STEIDL. I was selected as “FOTOFEST Discoveries of the Meeting Place 2018”. I also won the LensCulture Emerging Talent Awards 2016, the Sony World Photography Awards, the Photolucida Critical Mass TOP50 2016 & 2015, the Julia Margaret Cameron Award, the International Photography Award and the National Geographic Award, among others. I have had 15 solo exhibitions and group exhibitions at museums and galleries around the world. Some projects are held in collections in the Griffin Museum in the US and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. I was an artist in residence at the Rokko International Photography Festival 2015. My photographs were selected for “IPA Best of Show photographer 2013” (Lucie Foundation). I participated in the “RPS Photobook Masterclass”, the “Review Santa Fe 2014” and the “Eddie Adams Workshop 2014”. My work has been published in the New York Times, the Guardian, PDN, VICE Magazine and Wallpaper*, among others. I gave lectures at Tokyo Zokei University in 2013, 2016 & 2017.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura
"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

How did you receive your first camera?
I have always loved to travel, above all else. At first, I used a compact camera, given to me by my father to take pictures of my travels. But then I decided I wanted to capture the landscapes and people I would never see again in a more beautiful way, so I bought a single-lens reflex camera myself. I have also received one as a prize for winning a contest.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura
"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura
"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

Do you remember the first picture you took?
I don’t really remember, but I do remember taking pictures at the sand dunes where my family and me went on a trip when I was a child. I didn’t have a lot of time to spend with my parents when I was little, so those family trips are unforgettable.

Is it easier to take pictures of friends or of strangers?
I love to take pictures of people I’ve never met before. Sometimes I can get a sense of their personality or life through the lens. When it’s a friend, they can actually be quite shy sometimes. I have many friends who I’ve met through photography and who from complete strangers have become very dear to me. At times like these I am very glad I do photography.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

How do you find inspiration? What inspires you most? Movies, books, magazines or is it just what’s around you?
Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved watching movies.
They take me on a journey to worlds never seen before; they open doors to my emotions… Of course, very often it’s not just movies that inspire me; sometimes I find inspiration in books and magazines as well. I don’t normally take a lot of pictures, but when I travel I try to keep my mind on the road and photograph the landscapes and people that I happen to encounter and that inspire me.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura
"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

Which of your photographs is your favorite? Is it always the one you are going to take tomorrow?
One of my favorite photos from the “Fluorite Fantasia” project is of a star-filled sky behind the silhouette of a large tree. It’s as if I could hear the whispers of the stars in the sky. And there is one more; it’s a picture of a staircase in the “ZAIDO” book. It is such a long, long staircase that you can’t see how far it goes. Where does it lead? Does it continue into the past or into the future? Maybe it’s a path that goes back and forth between this world and the next. When I saw the staircase, it felt like if I climbed these stairs, I could meet my late father at the end of it. Looking at this staircase was like an Escher painting. You wouldn’t know whether you were going up or down. It’s a strange staircase that can be interpreted differently by the viewer. Another rather striking photo from “ZAIDO” is of children walking to the festival. Their young gait takes them on a long walk through extremely snowy roads and cold that sometimes reach -20°C. When this picture was taken, the moon was still in the early morning sky, and it was a very magical scene, as the ridges of the mountains in the distance looked beautiful but were covered in fog. I had the strange feeling someone else was making me shoot.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura
"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

Everyone carries a camera phone these days. How has that changed photography?
It’s a wonderful thing that we live in an age where anyone can easily take great photos. At the same time, it’s a difficult time to work as a photographer. For news photography, especially when it comes to capturing dramatic moments, there is no substitute for someone in the field. There is no longer much need for a photographer to take photographs that can be captured by literally anyone. I feel it is necessary to reconstruct the landscapes and events that I envision in my mind and express them in my own style.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura
"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so photography is a story we fail to put into words. Would you agree?
I’ve never been good at speaking since I was a kid, and I’ve always tried to express myself in ways other than speaking. Photography is one of those ways. I believe that photography can certainly express what cannot be put into words, but I feel that it can also be more eloquent than words sometimes. My aim is to tell a story through photography.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

What’s the story behind your “ZAIDO” book, published by the Steidl Verlag?
The sudden death of my father, my own big accident, and the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan left me with no will to live. One day, my father came to me in a dream and told me to go to a village where he used to live. Following his words, I arrived at a place hidden in deep snow. There, ZAIDO a 1300-year-old ritual was being performed. It is a beautiful, but harsh ritual, so I was impressed by the devotion of the performers, protecting what had almost been lost due to war, disease and disaster. It is through their dedication that I am able to find a meaning to life again.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

Who is your favorite Japanese film director?
I don’t watch Japanese movies as much as foreign movies, but I love Akira Kurosawa, Shunji Iwai, Hayao Miyazaki.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

Sushi or ramen?
Sushi!!!

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

Manga or classic literature?
I’m fascinated by both. These days, a lot of movies and dramas are based on comic books. Sometimes, I’m more inspired by manga than by the classics.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

Any favorite songs when visiting a karaoke bar?
I used to sing in TV commercials, but I am very bad at singing in front of people. So, unfortunately, I don’t go to karaoke.

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

What are you passionate about besides photography? What do you do in your free time?
When I have time, I watch movies, read books, paint, and fantasize…

"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura
"ZAIDO japanese festival"
©Yukari Chikura

_Text Uwe Buschmann (copy editing Silvia Strauch)

https://steidl.de/Books/Zaido-Steidl-Book-Award-Asia-1035404453.html?SID=CA5Al9621446

 

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