Copyright ©Tomohide Ikeya All Rights Reserved
Artist’s statement
My work explores "control" as a fundamental human desire. We strive to dominate nature, life, and others, but what does this desire ultimately bring us? Before becoming a photographer, I worked as a chef, witnessing firsthand how life is sustained by countless deaths. This experience became the foundation of my artistic perspective.
My encounter with scuba diving led me to recognize the essence of water—an indispensable yet untamable force. In underwater photography, precise technique merges with the unpredictability of chance, capturing the fleeting yet powerful presence of life.
My work reflects this duality, incorporating influences from ukiyo-e, Western classical art, and contemporary dance. By blending technology with tradition, I explore the interplay between life and death, control and release. Through water, I seek to question the essence of human existence—because it is the certainty of death that makes life shine.
