courtesy Michael Hoppen Contemporary

Hana
In my childhood neighborhood, there was a “temple for sanctuary.” This was a familiar place where I often played as a child. There, I found dying cluster of amaryllis (spider lilies), and was astonished by their beauty. I used a white background and shot the flowers until it got dark. This experience was the start of my “flower life.”
“ARAKI by ARAKI” 2003

According to his words, Araki is “always thinking about Eros (sex/life) and Thanatos (death).” As such, Araki’s works always embrace Eros and Thanatos as inextricably linked elements. In the exhibited works, Araki photographed Kinbaku (bondage) to express Eros, and Hana (Flower) for Thanatos, allowing them to coexist in the prints, conjoining them in a way that he has never tried before.

Nobuyoshi Araki New Publication: Nobuyoshi Araki’s new catalogue “Hana Kinbaku” will be published by Taka Ishii, Number of Work: 862 bondage, 591 flower photographs, Size B5-variant, 152 pages, Hard Cover.

Taka Ishii Gallery
1-3-2-5F Kiyosumi, Koto-ku
#135-002 Tokyo
.takaishiigallery.com