shashasha

“One woman’s life summons another, and two women, utter strangers, meet each other through photographs.“
— from Ishiuchi Miyako’s foreword

The photobook “Miyako & Chihiro - The Story of Two Women” came into existence when Ishiuchi Miyako’s series “Hiroshima” was exhibited side by side with illustrations by Japanese picture-book artist Chihiro Iwasaki’s illustration. Miyako recognized the many overlaps and the shared historical background between her mother and Iwasaki, born only two years apart in 1916 and 1918 respectively. In this book, Miyako’s photographs of her mother’s body and belongings follow photographs of Iwasaki’s clothes, jewelry and other personal objects. The photographs tell the story of two women who never met yet breathed the same air, experienced the same historical events.

“Nothing compares to the excitement I felt as history took on reality, illuminated by the individual life histories of these two women, Miyako and Chihiro; the singular pleasure of sensing a single line connecting the past to the present, leading to the future. To realize that I am the woman who lay in their futures.”
— from Ishiuchi Miyako’s foreword

The book also features detailed portraits of both women’s lives, including a look at their signature dishes, as well as essays by novelist Akana Chihaya and curator Fumiko Uejima, a comprehensive list of works and biographical data. All texts included in Japanese and in English translation.