Copyright ©Tomohide Ikeya All Rights Reserved
Breathing is a necessary condition for human life, but humans forget that they are breathing on earth. Just as they forget that they are breathing, they also forget the value and significance of being alive. When standing between life and death, human beings remember important things that they had almost forgotten before. Sometimes it is not possible to remember until the very end of life, and the moment one remembers, life is over. Without knowing death, you will never know life. The art of knowing death while still alive is a profound human experience.
Tomohide Ikeya has been diving into the water without oxygen cylinders and taking photographs of people in the extreme conditions of life and death under the theme of BREATH, which is far more inconvenient for people underwater compared to on the ground. While the models are usually underwater for 30 seconds to a minute, Ikeya spends up to two minutes underwater, during which time he swims with them and struggles with breathing difficulties while filming.Some people with physical disabilities volunteered to be models for the underwater photographs. By standing on the edge of life and death, human beings can more strongly realise the appreciation of life and the power of life to live in defiance of the oncoming forces of death. This is something we have all experienced once or twice in our lives, but we tend to forget about it as we become mired in the boredom of monotonous, repetitive days and the common sense of a grim world.
Ikeya has symbolically extracted the borderline between life and death by utilising the underwater environment, and has fixed it in her photographs. By looking at these photographs, you may be able to recall the power of life that lies dormant in your memory.
Wind Traveller Editor in Chief
Tsuyoshi Saeki.
Exploring the Beauty and Themes of Tomohide Ikeya’s Work
Engaging with the work of Japanese artist Tomohide Ikeya is an experience that draws one to its distinct beauty and profound themes.
Fascinated by natural phenomena, especially water, from a young age, Ikeya did not receive traditional artistic training.
His passion for art began with an interest in manga, anime, and Japanese cinema, which helped him cultivate his unique perspective.
Fascinated by natural phenomena, especially water, from a young age, Ikeya did not receive traditional artistic training.
His passion for art began with an interest in manga, anime, and Japanese cinema, which helped him cultivate his unique perspective.
Ikeya focuses on the relationship between water and humans, providing a contemporary perspective while sharing a deep cultural background
with other great Japanese photographers. His series, such as "WAVE," "MOON," and "BREATH," explore the interaction between water and humans,
addressing themes of "control" and "loss" within this context.
with other great Japanese photographers. His series, such as "WAVE," "MOON," and "BREATH," explore the interaction between water and humans,
addressing themes of "control" and "loss" within this context.
For example, "WAVE" depicts the struggle of humans as they exist as part of nature yet strive to resist it.
This series can also be interpreted as a metaphor for overcoming daily life challenges.
On the other hand, the "MOON" series addresses the themes of life and death, with water appearing as part of the creative and poetic process.
By incorporating elements like hair, Ikeya skillfully represents the continuity of life and the symbolic significance in Japanese culture.
This series can also be interpreted as a metaphor for overcoming daily life challenges.
On the other hand, the "MOON" series addresses the themes of life and death, with water appearing as part of the creative and poetic process.
By incorporating elements like hair, Ikeya skillfully represents the continuity of life and the symbolic significance in Japanese culture.
Ikeya's work is said to be strongly influenced by Shinto, where ropes serve a symbolic role in delineating the sacred.
The influence of Nobuyoshi Araki is also visible, deepening the themes of life and death through their dialogue.
However, Ikeya’s works consistently pursue elegance and fragility, never losing their pursuit of beautiful composition and form.
The influence of Nobuyoshi Araki is also visible, deepening the themes of life and death through their dialogue.
However, Ikeya’s works consistently pursue elegance and fragility, never losing their pursuit of beautiful composition and form.
In the "BREATH" series, Ikeya tackles the theme of underwater breathing, capturing the extreme expressions of models confronting their deepest fears.
His works, where sensuality and beauty coexist with fear, offer a powerful visual and emotional impact.
His works, where sensuality and beauty coexist with fear, offer a powerful visual and emotional impact.
Tomohide Ikeya's work stands out with its uniqueness and remarkable quality. Through this critique, one can immerse in his grand and unsettling creations,
reaffirming his significance in the Japanese art scene. The themes and aesthetics he explores continue to profoundly move his audience.
reaffirming his significance in the Japanese art scene. The themes and aesthetics he explores continue to profoundly move his audience.
Art curator and lecturer at the University of Zaragoza (Art History Department)
Alejandra Rodríguez Cunchillos
Artist’s statement
Inspired by water's duality - life-giving and destructive - I explore its philosophical depths. Growing up on an island nation Japan, surrounded by water from active volcanoes and frequent tsunamis shaped my connection to this element. Shinto, my cultural heritage, views death as part of nature's cycle, much like water.
Underwater photography is a challenge. Limited movement, bubbles, light, and waves require split-second decisions amidst safety concerns. But chance encounters can create dramatic works - a testament to human curiosity and creativity in uncertain environments.
My art, influenced by ukiyo-e, Western classical art, sci-fi animation, and contemporary dance, reflects a subconscious fear of death intertwined with familiar culture. The bubbles in "BREATH" resemble stars, while "WAVE" evokes Hokusai's ukiyo-e with its minimalist background.
Digital technology allows me to explore new mediums; The traditional material of fresco painting and plaster is used and printed with UV ink to show how it hardens as it breathes.
Dancers, performers, and athletes like Ikuyo Kuroda and Daisuke Yoshimoto become my underwater collaborators, their movements expressing the tension between life and death.
Through my work, I want to express the beauty of the contradictory existence of life and death in water, and the fragility and strength of human existence. Death is inevitable, but that is why life shines and is precious.
水の二面性、生命を育む一方で命を奪う存在に魅了された私は、水からインスピレーションを受け、その哲学的な側面を探求しています。島国である日本という環境で育ち、活発な火山活動による豊富な水と、世界で発生する20％の地震（マグニチュード6以上）による津波に囲まれた中で、水との深い関わりを持つようになりました。私の文化的なルーツである神道では、死は自然のサイクルの一部であり、水と同じように捉えられています。
水中撮影は、安全性への配慮に加え、限られた動き、気泡、光、波の影響など、様々な制約の中で行われます。瞬時の判断が求められる環境で、構図、光、タイミングを的確に捉える必要があります。しかし、偶然の要素を取り込むことで、計算を超えたドラマティックな作品を生み出すこともできます。それは、不確かな環境下でも創造性を発揮しようとする人間の好奇心と強さを表すものであり、同時に、儚くも美しい瞬間を捉えることの重要性も強調することができます。
浮世絵、西洋古典美術、SFアニメからコンテンポラリーダンスなど、様々な芸術作品から影響を受けた私の作品は、無意識か意識的にか、心の奥底で抱える死への恐怖と身近な文化が融合しています。「BREATH」の気泡は星のように、「WAVE」の波は葛飾北斎の浮世絵のように、背景のディテールを削ぎ落とした表現は、日本独特のフラットな絵画表現を継承しています。
デジタル技術の進歩により、表現の幅が格段に広がりました。フレスコ画の伝統的な素材である漆喰を使用し、UVインクでプリントし呼吸をしながら固まる様子を表現しています。
デジタル技術の進歩により、表現の幅が格段に広がりました。フレスコ画の伝統的な素材である漆喰を使用し、UVインクでプリントし呼吸をしながら固まる様子を表現しています。
黒田育世、吉本大輔など、各界で活躍するダンサー、パフォーマー、アスリートたちが、水中で生命力と死の狭間を表現する上で重要な役割を果たします。彼らのしなやかな動きは生命の躍動感を、力強い体は死への恐怖と戦う人間の強さを象徴しています。
私は作品を通して、水に備わる生と死という相反する存在の美しさ、そして人間の存在の儚さと強さを表現したいと思っています。死は避けられないものですが、だからこそ生は輝き、尊いものです。
