shashasha

With ‘Mizugi’ by Osamu Yokonami, Swedish publisher Libraryman begins its new quarterly “Seasons Series”, in which “a unified curated category of artists cumulate under one and the same provision”.

As an extension of his ‘Assembly’ series, Yokonami selected the theme of swimsuits for Mizugi (Japanese for ‘swimsuit’), for the exposed areas of skin allowing him to capture — often in close portrait shots — direct sensations such as the humidity of the surrounding air and the body’s heat against its surroundings. Goosebumps forming on the skin just as a swimmer leaves the water, light reflecting off of wet shoulders; grouped together, the images form a visual representation of the first days of Spring. In Yokonami’s usual fashion, the faces of his models are not shown. According to Yokonami, this allows him to draw out the strength of the group as a portrait.