Instagram @chieko.shiraishi
Chieko Shiraishi
JAPAN
Chieko Shiraishi is a Japanese photographer renowned for her poetic and introspective work, often exploring themes of memory, nature, and time. Shiraishi’s photography is characterized by its delicate, dreamlike quality, capturing the serene beauty of natural landscapes. Her images evoke tranquility and reflection, inviting viewers to contemplate the fleeting moments of life.
Shiraishi's work has been exhibited in galleries and art institutions both in Japan and internationally, earning acclaim for its emotional depth and connection to the natural world. She has also published several photobooks that further showcase her unique artistic vision.
In collaboration with Gallery Echo 119
• SERIES •
Shimakage (The Shadow of the Islands)
The series presented on the occasion of this exhibition, titled Shimakage (The Shadow of the Islands) and created between 2003 and 2014, showcases the distinctive style of Chieko Shiraishi: a poetic and introspective universe, a journey between memories, dreams, and reality.
Shimakage is a voyage that is at once physical, psychic, and visual, delving into the artist's memories. Taken on the countless small Japanese islands, the images in this series transport us to the boundary between reality and the world of dreams. They evoke the sensation of memories that gradually fade and blur over time. To express this intimate feeling, the photographer employs the “Zokin-Gake,” a popular Japanese technique practiced by amateur photographers in the 1920s and 1930s, which later fell into obscurity. It involves applying oil paint to the prints and removing material with a cloth. This process, along with the artist’s mastery of photographic printing, gives her prints the unique pictorial quality that is present across all her works, regardless of the method used.
