photography and photobooks
Biography
Uma Kinoshita is an independent photographer based in Tokyo. As a self-taught photographer, she started to take photographs in 2004. Her initial interests were in a woman’s body and emotions. With her nude works, she won several awards and held exhibitions at home and abroad.
However, the disasters of March 11, 2011, have drastically changed her photography. She has turned her eyes, which had been so introspective, to big social issues. In the first year after the disasters, she pursued the absolute loneliness people could experience by taking pictures of places where no one could or should be, and thereby completed a portfolio entitled “Lost in Fukushima.” In the second year, she focused on the role of their local religion as a source of their community resilience and completed her second Fukushima series entitled "Prayer in Stricken Land." The third work is "In Silence and In Sorrow." In this series, she uses Japanese traditional hand-screened paper called "Kamikawasaki-washi" from Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, which has a history of over 1000 years. These three works have been exhibited both at home and abroad.
In 2019 and 2020, she focused on shooting in Okuma Town in Fukushima, where Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station is located, and completed the fourth series of her Fukushima Project entitled "Mementos of Happiness" in 2021.
Exhibitions
2023
October: Exhibited artist books "Mementos of Happiness" and "From Tree to paper" at the North American Hand Papermakers' annual conference, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
2022
February: Participated in “Unmanned Station Art Festival, OIGAWA 2022” Shizuoka, Japan
March: Solo exhibition "Mementos of Happiness" Kyoouji Temple, Tokyo, Japan
November: "Lost in Fukushima" in ”North East South West - over the edge" Spazio Mostre "I. Battistella" di San Donà di Piave, Italy
2019
March: "Pairing FUKUSHIMA" with Ryuichi Yahagi, curated by Seiji Komatsu, EMON PHOTO GALLERY, Tokyo, Japan
May: "Pairing FUKUSHIMA" Kyotographie+ with Ryuichi Yahagi, curated by Seiji Komatsu, Gallery Malonie, Kyoto, Japan
2018
January : Solo exhibition "In Silence and In Sorrow" ondo kagurazaka, Kamome Books, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
August: Photo & Sound Exhibition "Memory of the Land, Prayers in the Wind" with Masaru Nakajima, PLACE M, Tokyo, Japan
October: Hand-made photo book "In Silence and In Sorrow" SCAN Photobooks, SCAN Tarragona, Tarragona, Spain
2017
November : Participated in "Donne & Fotografia," a large-scale group exhibition held by CRAF in Udine, Italy, with one photograph from "Lost in Fukushima"
2016
October : "In Silence and In Sorrow" 5th Singapore International Photography Festival
2015
March : Solo exhibition "In Silence and In Sorrow" in “Conseguenze. Vajont-Fukushima” with Michele Mattiello, PLACE M, Tokyo, Japan
April : Solo exhibition "In Silence and In Sorrow" in Joint Exhibition with Michele Mattiello and Yoshimasa Ono, Nishiaizu International Art Village, Nishiaizu, Fukushima, Japan
November : "In Silence and In Sorrow" fotofever with Froz Magazine Vision, Paris, France
2014
April : Solo exhibition "Lost in Fukushima" in “Conseguenze. Vajont-Fukushima” with Michele Mattiello, Villa Breda, Padova, Italy
June : Solo exhibition “Lost” atelier kirigiris, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
July : Solo exhibition "Lost in Fukushima" in “Conseguenze. Vajont-Fukushima” with Michele Mattiello, 28th Spilimbergo Fotografia 2014, Mulino di Ampiano, Pinzano al Tagliamento, Friuli, Italy
2013
February : Group exhibition “Reflection ver.2: 9 Photographers‘ Eyes on Fukushima” Minami-souma, Fukushima, Japan
September : Solo exhibition “Lost in Fukushima” Fusaiji Temple Gallery, Murakami, Niigata, Japan
2012
April : Group exhibition “Reflection: 9 Photographers’ Eyes on Fukushima” Kitakata, Fukushima, Japan
May : Solo exhibition “Cinema Japon” FEPN - Festival Europeen de la photo de nu - Arles and les Baux de Provence, France
August : Solo exhibition “Cinema Japon” PLACE M, Tokyo, Japan
2011
July : Slideshow projection “Fukushima” 16th Voies Off Festival, Arles, France
August : Solo exhibition “Fukushima” PLACE M, Tokyo, Japan
September : Solo exhibition "Cinema Japon" in “In the Mood for Love” with Henry Horenstein (USA) and Gilles Berquet (France), NKA* PHOTOGRAPHY, Brussels, Belgium
2007-2010
May 2007 : Group exhibition “W2M” PLACE M, Tokyo, Japan
November 2007 : Group exhibition “W2M2” PLACE M, Tokyo, Japan
July 2008 : Group exhibition “Artful Nude” The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
December 2008 : Solo exhibition “SKIN DEEP” PLACE M, Tokyo, Japan
December 2009 : Solo exhibition “The Hand Remembers” Gallery DAZZLE, Tokyo, Japan
March 2010 : Group exhibition “Inner Vision” PLACE M, Tokyo, Japan
2010 - present
2010 - present
Awards
2012
Juror Award of Merit, Grand Prix de la Découverte: International Fine Art Photography Award in the category People/Portraits, France
2009
Honorable Mention, The International Photography Awards in the category Fine Art Nude Professional, USA
2008
Artist Showcase Award, Artful Nude (juried by Kim Weston), The Center for Fine Art Photography, USA
2006
Honorable Mention, The 26th Annual Photography Contest 2006, Photographers’ Journal and Cannon, USA
Articles and Interviews
2017
Edge of Humanity Magazine "Prayer in Stricken Land" by Joelcy Kay
2015
Bund Pictorial, 海啸四周年影像志：生活在核阴影下的福岛, 文：施瑜 编辑：洪立
LensCulture, "In Silence and In Sorrow" featured in Magazine
Fem Worldview "In Silence and In Sorrow" with introduction by Maggie Gray
OLD "UMA KINOSHITA – “IN SILENCE AND IN SORROW” with text by Marcelo Parducci
2014
LensCulture, Editors' Pick for "Lost in Fukushima"
Fstoppers, "Lost in Fukushima" series documents loneliness, Aftermath of Disaster" by Ruby Love
Floz Magazine Vision, "Uma Kinoshita: A Japanese Eye," by Barbara Orly
2011
PHOTOGRAPHE N°1 - Le magazine de la photo artistique contemporaine for "Ordinary and Beautiful"