Hiroshi Watanbe

Hiroshi Watanbe is graciously participating in my "Four Evenings with Fine Art Photographers" series that kicks off next Thursday, March 26th. This is especially exciting for me because Hirsohi is not only a friend, but someone who consistently creates work that makes us feel connected to the world around us. I am looking forward to learning about his influences and journey as a photographer, after a career as a successful producer for television commercials.

"My photographs reflect both genuine interest in my subject as well as a respect for the element of serendipity. I strive for both calculation and discovery in my work, studying my subjects in preparation, while at the same keeping my mind open for the surprises. The pure enjoyment of this process drives and inspires me. Mostly, I seek to capture people, traditions, and locales that first and foremost are of personal interest, while other times I seek pure beauty. I wish for my images to distill scenes ranging from the ephemeral to the eternal, from the esoteric to the symbolic. A current that underlies my work is the concept of preservation. I make every effort to be a faithful visual recorder of the world around me, a world in flux that, at very least in my mind, deserves preservation, and that I constantly seek to expand."

Hiroshi has a lot going on in the near future. He's part of the group show, Connections, at the Jenkins Johnson Gallery in San Francisco on exhibition through March 28th. His work has been selected for the Hearst 8x10 Photography Biennial in New York, opening April 1st. Opening June 6th, Hiroshi will have 12 pieces from his series, Ideology in Paradise, at the Kopeikin Gallery in Los Angeles. And finally, Hiroshi will be part of a traveling exhibition titled, Seeing Ourselves, at the George Eastman House.

Suo Sarumawashi is a new series, where once again, Hiroshi is able to find the humanity in his subjects, infusing them with poignant emotion and dignity.

"Sarumawashi, literally "monkey dancing" evolved over a 1000-year history in Japan. Ancient Japanese chronicles refer to it as a form of religious ritual designed to protect the horses of warriors. It later developed into a popular form of festival entertainment, and was performed all over Japan from temples to imperial courts. Today, Sarumawashi is ranked alongside Noh and Kabuki as one of the oldest and most traditional of Japan's performing arts. It features acrobatic stunts and comedic skits performed by highly trained macaque monkeys."