Poetic Photography From Rinko Kawauchi

Through passion, precision and a distinctive presence of light; Rinko’s emotional portraits of natural phenomena, evoke a sense of wonder in the audience. Her photographs are characterized by an ethereal aesthetic – transforming sea waves into folds of silk and fireworks into feathers. Whilst radiating a sense of fragility, Rinko occasionally uses juxtapositions in her art; depicting a deer laying dead against a picturesque backdrop, while in another image, an immense fire burns a vibrant copper, turning everything from a caramel hue to an ash black. In a recent exhibition, entitled ‘Illuminance’, Rinko showcased work from the previous fifteen years. The title references her striking application of light. With one image delivering spontaneous sparks which lend an exuberant energy, and the next image delicately basking its subjects in serenity symbolised by a golden glow. Undoubtedly alluring yet equally thought-provoking, this is a key signature of Rinko’s work, who once famously quoted, “It’s not enough that the photograph is beautiful. If it doesn’t move my heart, it wont move anyone else’s heart.”