shashasha

The figure of an island, floating above the gold-colored sea, embedded in a canvas made of grey-blue sky. Another page; the same island, this time put in the top fifth of the frame, against a glowing yellow sky, below it the expanse of a dark-blue sea streaked with fine white lines. Tokio Matsubara’s “Okinoshima” uses the title-giving uninhabited island of Okinoshima (as seen from Kataonami Beach in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture) as its subject to draw a highly heterogenous series of various colors, moods, textures and impressions. Matsubara, who usually focuses on black-and-white photography, makes exceptional use of different daytimes, weather conditions and angles to render a beautiful wealth of colors. Additionally, each book is printed with pigment inks on washi paper to ensure an excellent color reproduction and longevity.