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Motoi Ichihara's work has focused on the elements of ice, water, and fire. Currently, he is pursuing the theme of the world's food supply, gathering material from the Arctic and Antarctic, Asia, South Asia, and Africa. |
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"To visit the birthplace of the monsoon, I climbed Chomolungma."
I went to Alaska and Greenland thinking the trip would launch my photographic career. In fact, my unbridled enthusiasm led me in circles and I ended up feeling frustrated about not being able to take any photos. Then, while I was there, I met the photographer Hiroshi Hamaya, who told me I was "10 years early." He said that being able to physically "feel" a scene was an incredible experience, and that it would come to me later. I realized he was right. From that moment on, my way of thinking changed and I felt more comfortable with myself.
Ever since then, I have refrained from taking photos as soon as arrive at a location, and continue to train myself to see things objectively from a neutral viewpoint. In 1979, after four years of preparation, I began covering whaling in the Antarctic. At the time, the whaling issue had become an international topic of concern. It was a problem that drew attention to both social aspects and the mysteries of the natural environment, and I really wanted to be involved in documenting it.
Ice was the theme I adopted for my work in the Arctic and Antarctic, and at both poles, I came face to face with a beautiful yet severe natural world, a spectacular example of God's creation. Then, for my next project, I wanted to somehow capture the humidity and closeness of the more familiar landscape of Asia. So I began photographing the monsoon. By pursuing the themes of "water" and "food" in the context of people and climate, I felt I could take my photography to the next level, and capture Asia from my own unique point of view.
In 1992, I joined a Japanese-Kazakhstan mountaineering party to climb Chomolungma, the Tibetan name for Mount Everest. I'd heard that the monsoon originates in the Himalayas, and I was eager to physically experience the source of its creation. But it was incredibly hard, and we lost our way on the descent. It was a miracle I survived.
After pursuing the themes of water and food across Asia for 19 years, I felt I had come to a turning point. So about two years ago, I went Africa to tackle the themes of "fire" and "energy." I stayed in West Africa for three months doing research and scouting locations, but caught falciparum malaria in Senegal and developed symptoms soon after returning to Japan. It was a terrible experience. I still haven't fully regained my strength, and have had to put the Africa project on hold for now.
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