The first time I saw Ninagawa Mika's photography exhibition, it was not her usual style display. Even including the solo exhibition "Between Virtual and Reality" that just ended in Beijing, whenever this Japanese woman who is active around the world is mentioned, As a photographer, everyone can easily relate to her bold and innovative use of brilliant colors, which is sometimes even astonishing. Because whether it is the stamens, the characters or the surrounding scenery, for her, all the scenes may have passed through a deliberate filter. If I see more of her style, there may be an aesthetic rebound, which is why I can firmly remember the reason why she held a photography solo exhibition in memory of her father.
Speaking of which, all of us will die. Life is precisely connected in this way, so I am here too. Because I was born and died, I am still alive today.
In May 2017, the Ninagawa Mika photography exhibition was held at the Hara Museum of Art in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The theme was "Beautiful Days" and the exhibition period was only 10 days. At that time, I went there with an editor of the monthly "Literary Spring and Autumn" because I was writing a special article about why Japanese culture has attracted attention overseas. Japanese photography was of course one of the topics. However, when we first entered the exhibition hall, our Japanese editor was the first to sigh. She said that she had never thought that Ninagawa Mika was so simple and straightforward. She didn't even need any decoration. She shot to the end and directly explored the source of life. and inheritance from generation to generation. The subtitle of the film festival is: "The day my father passed away, the sky was so beautiful that it made people scared."
Thanks to the kindness of the domestic publishing house, I translated her photography book at the end of the same year. There is not much text, but There are clouds and rain between the lines. As a legacy, perhaps she can continue to speak to the world on behalf of her father. Ninagawa Mika once said that she didn’t know why she could take such a photo. Her longing and farewell to her old friend were far outweighed by the meaning of the word “beautiful”. In other words, only “beautiful” can complete a person’s life. life inheritance. And this, in fact, is still consistent with her photography orientation.
At the beginning of 2016, my father was like a shrinking balloon, and his condition gradually worsened. The green trees are sprouting, the sunshine is dazzling, and the beautiful sky continues to be amazing.
, as the translator of her photography collection, was unable to participate in her solo exhibition in Beijing due to the epidemic, which is a pity. However, this photography exhibition has been exhibited in 10 exhibition venues in Japan since 2018. As a comprehensive exhibition, it should be the one held at the Mori Art Museum in Ueno, Tokyo last fall. It is Ninagawa Mika's consistent style to regard flower stamens and petals as her subjects, and the reason for this is to capture a moment. To this, she gave a clear answer a long time ago: "The camera is a machine that cuts the moment. For example, the shutter speed is one-sixtieth. Once this moment is printed into an image, I am very moved. . The smell and temperature of the scene and the mood of everyone present are all concentrated in this moment, and it will be passed down and preserved. I will be exposed to this moment 130,000 times a year, and I am really happy." ("Asahi Shimbun" Sapporo Evening News, October 1, 2008)
Ninagawa Mika's solo exhibition in Beijing this time still maintains her previous photography style of strong colors and bright lights. Some of the photos were taken in Kyushu, Japan. , the shooting location was a cemetery, because she felt that “the moment of looking at the flowers was also the moment when the boundaries between life and death were blurred with the dead around them, as if being pulled into an irresistible world by a magical force. "("Art Handwriting" October 7, 2021)
In fact, according to the same principle, when taking photos of Paralympic athletes, she also uses a full set of precision when taking photos of flowers. The lighting uses colors to greatly render the atmosphere around the athletes, with the purpose of expressing the athletes' spiritual level. Of course, the "spirit" she refers to is always an existence invisible to the naked eye.
Ninagawa Mika wrote in the photo album "Beautiful Days": "After taking a walk, I went to my father's ward, and then from the ward to the workplace.My father was dying step by step, but I couldn't wait to work and take care of my children. I take photos in my own time early in the morning. The world is becoming more and more beautiful and sparkling. No matter what the scenery is, it is always beautiful. "
It is not difficult to see from this that the art she pursues from beginning to end has sunshine, because only sunshine can make the scenery bright.
(Original title: Only sunshine can make the scenery bright)
Source: Author of Beijing Evening News ：Mao Danqing
Process editor: u005
Copyright statement: The text copyright belongs to Beijing News Group and may not be reproduced or adapted without permission
.
