shashasha

"Where I Am" chronicles Japanese artist Mirika Ishida's journey through various European cities and places during a year of study in London and Oslo. Divided into two books titled "Act 1" and "Act 2," Ishida not only separates her experiences based on the city she was in, but also approaches her experiences and memories in two different ways.

"Act 1" presents snapshots and scenes from her travels and her new daily life, while "Act 2" consists mainly of vibrant cyanotype prints created using sunlight in Oslo, as well as an inlay of square monochrome photographs. Through its multilayered binding, handwritten texts, scribbled notes, and above all Ishida's sensitive photography, "Where I Am" captures the complex and fragile experience of the strange temporary normalcy of a year abroad, fresh and stimulating, but also immediately sentimental.

“When I arrived in London in October, the weather was gloomy. I struggled to find a place to live until the last minute and experienced living in a shared house for the first time. Luckily, the house had large windows.
I used my suitcase as a desk and tried to go outside every day.
Wherever I am, I am still myself. Wherever I dance, my dance remains mine. When I came to London, my calendar was completely blank. Back in Japan, it was always packed. Somehow, it felt liberating.”
― from Mirika Ishida’s “Where I Am, Act 1”