In his book In Praise of Shadows, Junichiro Tanizaki wrote that, “we find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.” The work of photographer Kaoru Seki embodies this philosophy, treating shadows as his primary subjects. For Seki, the interplay between light and dark – refraction through trees, reflections through windows, silhouetted shadows – animates the inherent mystery of scenes he encounters in his daily life, in locations across Japan. Photographed from unexpected perspectives, these dense visions of both urban and rural landscapes are difficult to penetrate yet utterly compelling, evoking Tanizaki’s statement that “were it not for shadows, there would be no beauty.”

– Amanda Maddox Juror, Hariban Award 2015

Born in Tokyo in 1979. In 2003, he graduated from Faculty of Art and design, visual transmission / photography department, Tokyo Zokei University. In 2013, he has become a management member of “Third district Gallery”. He has published his photo book “RADIANCE” from Niseacacia Process(2013)