Megumi Kurosawa
“ DOUBLE LIFE ”
2007Co-Grand Prize
ARTIST STATEMENT
DOUBLE LIFE
Nanako, the subject of the photographs, has the body of a man but the heart of a woman. This was a secret that she couldn’t tell her parents, her wife, or her coworkers.
I was full of curiosity as I pointed the camera at her, yet she happily revealed herself to me. Through my lens I saw her 67 years of bi-gender existence. And her pure yearnings and fantasies taught me, as a woman, about the beauty and depth that women intrinsically possess.
She says that she is affable with everybody, yet greedy too, and that’s why she has led the life she has.
She didn’t want to hurt her family, and wanted to live normally in society, yet also wanted to be a woman. She extolled the virtues of living an uninhibited life despite being bound by all kinds of restrictions, and exuded a charm that transcends gender. I became completely fascinated with her.
People may define the significance of their existence in terms of what others think of them. Her wish was for society to accept her as a woman. When she could suppress such feelings no longer, a new meaning was born within these photographs, and they came to life.
So, these pictures document a person’s coming-out in photographic form. I hope this work brings even more joy to Nanako’s life.
Entries form: Book format, A4 Pictran, 15 prints (excluding cover)
Selecting judge: Nobuyoshi Araki
They have power as photographs, but what is most outstanding is the presence of this person. I’d like to have a beer with this dear old man.
Photographs of a life as rich as this hit you hard. When you look at pictures like these, recent trends become irrelevant. After all, we look carefully at things that are right in front of us, and these pictures make you realize that that’s really the only way to do it.
I did feel, however, that the book contained quite a few boring photographs. Their presence dulled the energy that was being generated. I’d like to see her get rid of the unnecessary pictures, and blow up the ones where the subject is directly facing the camera as much as possible.
PROFILE
Megumi Kurosawa
| 1982 | Born in Tokyo |
| 2005 | Graduated from the Faculty of Home Economics, Otsuma Women”s University |
| 2005 | Started a career in banking |
| 2006 | Left her banking career and started working as a freelance photographer |
| 2007 | Received an Excellence Award at the 30th New Cosmos of Photography (selected by Nobuyoshi Araki) and was a co-Grand Prize winner |
| 2008 | Held the solo exhibition Double Life at the Gallery Illum in Seoul, South Korea |
| 2010 | Exhibited The Torii Sisters at the Selected Young Women Artists exhibition at the Galerie Simon in Ginza, Tokyo |
2007Co-Grand Prize