Kohei Kawatani

The created artwork utilizes motifs that focus on artificial objects and light, and transforms them into new, unnatural images using special digital techniques. The aim of this work is to provide a new interpretation of familiar objects and to explore the possibilities of contemporary photographic expression from a fresh perspective.

These new images are both something we have never seen before and at the same time, something that looks familiar. This artwork encourages us to change our perspective on the things we see in our daily lives and discover the beauty behind them.

This artwork also serves as a message towards the concept of "artificial," which has become increasingly important in our lives with the progress of technology. It is important for us to understand how artificial things are relevant to our lives and to consider the impact that things we create ourselves have on us.

I always carried a large strobe and used it to produce strong light even under the sun while taking pictures. When zooming the lens to the maximum, the background of the subject disappears and only its texture is vividly depicted.

I compiled these unrelated photos taken in various places using this technique under the title "Tofu-Knife" as one work. Even people, urban landscapes, and organic matter such as plants lose their realism due to the strong strobe.

Considering photography as a tool for visual communication, I am examining its possibilities through this work.