Uraguchi’s images speak as much of cultural heritage as of modernity, as these communities have undergone profound changes in the wake of the wave of urbanization that swept Japan after the war. His photographic language – the plastic strength of his contrasting blacks and whites, his sense of deframing, gestures captured in their spontaneity – celebrates the freedom of bodies, solidarity and the spirit of independence.
To shed light on the many facets of this work, the visual corpus is accompanied by a text by Sonia Voss that unveils the mysterious world of this community, as well as a text by Chihiro Minato that contextalizes this work in the history of photography. A glossary, inspired by the writings of Japanese ethnologist Kiyoko Segawa and dedicated to the world of fishing and diving, reveals all the richness and technicality of their discipline ; edited by Sonia Voss, texts by Chihiro Minato and Sonia Voss, pictures in b&w.
