shashasha

“Neroli” is an oil made from the flowers of a bitter orange tree. Sometimes, it is also referred to as “Neroli Bigarade.” “Bigarade” means bitter orange in French. Its scientific name is “Citrus aurantium.” Extracted from flowers of trees over 20 years old immediately after they bloom, Neroli has a complex scent that is a mixture of flower nectar, tree bark, and leaf. When I photograph, I release the shutter of my camera, at times impulsively, focusing on the subjects and also on my own emotions. The image appears on the photographic paper and makes a fleeting moment permanent. Neroli is like a collection of time. In aromatherapy, it colors the air with its distinct scent which evokes the image of a beautiful white bitter orange flower. I would like to capture moments of chance, passion, and ineffable, irreplaceable importance in photographs.

— from the artist’s statement for Taka Ishii Gallery’s Neroli exhibition