Tokyo Perspective

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Photographer

Kazuya Urakawa
Website

http://www.citta-materia.org/

Looking at cityscapes in Tokyo, I feel as if the city has fallen into a state of amnesia. Tokyo undergoes reconstruction more frequently than any other city in the world, and the demolition of buildings only 50 years old is commonplace. However, the relation between reconstruction and memory-loss of a city is like two sides of the same coin. I believe cities with memory-loss cannot maintain individuality, reducing their existence to an expression of superficial and flimsy images. This book is an experiment to survey the modern history of the city of Tokyo through architecture in the 20th century. I hope it provides occasion to rediscover the city and helps to accumulate and preserve its memories. 134 pages. Text in English 24 collages + 44 photographs + 13 archival images Size : 410mm x 290mm x 10mm 50 editions only Photo / Collages / Text : Kazuya Urakawa

Biography

I am a photographer and a registered architect in Japan. I was born in 1972 in Sapporo and resides in Tokyo. Concerned by the rapid change in Japanese cities, particularly in Tokyo, I began to photograph Japanese modern architecture and cityscape in 2005. My theme of creation is what documents and visualizes the irreproducibility of the city which is caused by conflict between the continuously changing cityscape and the memory of place being accumulated in the city.
Awards

[AWARD] 2017 LA FABRICA PHOTO LONDON BOOK DUMMY AWARD : Nominated for one of the 20 shortlisted works 2017 International Photography Awards 2017 Competition: Honorable Mention (Architecture : Cityscapes, Fine Art : Collage, Book(Self-published) : Fine Art, Book(Self-published) : Other) 2017 ISTANBUL PHOTOBOOK FESTIVAL FUAM DUMMY BOOK AWARD : Nominated for one of the 34 shortlisted works 2016 Steidl Book Award Japan : Nominated for one of the 44 longlisted works 2015 International Photography Awards 2015 Competition : Honorable Mention ? in Fine Art/Collage ? 2015 The PX3 2015 PHOTO COMPETITION : Honorable Mention ? in Fine Art/Abstract ? 2014 ONWARD Compé ‘14 : Finalist 2012 PENTAX RICOH Photo Contest : winning a prize [Solo Exhibitions] 2016 invisible cities / Pinco Palino Tokyo [Selected Group Exhibition] 2018 The Book Dummy Award 2017, Photo London, London, UK 2018 PHOTOBOOK AS OBJECT / PHOTOBOOK WHO CARES in Photobook / NZ, The Engine Room, Whiti o Rehua School of Art, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand 2017 The Photobook Show of the Athens Photo Festival 2017, One of 350 Selected Photobooks, Benaki Museum, Athens, Greek 2017 NEW WAVE Handmade photobooks from Tokyo, Hardwick Gallery, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK 2016 Special Exhibition: Steidl Book Award Japan, The Tokyo Art Book Fair 2016, Tokyo, Japan 2016 Photobook As Object Exhibition by workshjop participants, Remminders Photography Stronghold, Tokyo, Japan 2014 ONWARD Compé ’14 : Annual International photography competition finalists exhibition, Project Basho, Philadelphia, U.S.A 2012 PENTAX RICOH Photo Contest Exhibition, Pentax forum gallery, Tokyo, Japan [Publishing] 2016 Tokyo Perspective, Self Publishing limited 50 copies 2016 NEW JAPAN PHOTO ISSUE.1 ( EINSTEIN STUDIO ) 2011 7 Factores of cities, Self Publishing limited 50 copies