His photographs are made in Japan and are both stunning and tranquil. Shikama attaches as much importance to the details of the image as to the photographic object. It is not just the trees and plants matter, but also the process of making the image from start to finish that is part of the journey. It has dawned upon me that the forest is, in fact, the home of numerous silent and peaceful activities”. This is the image I have always had of the forest. Shikama wrote:”the forest always stands there, motionless in total stillness. As the exhibition title depicts, Shikama’s images of the forest and trees guided us through a visual contemplation that unlocks a journey toward discovering the nature of silence. The exhibition Contemplations comprises 32 of Shikama’s images captured worldwide, including the winter scenery in Japan, the magnificent Yosemite National Park in California, the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and urban forests in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and France.īreathe in, breathe out, and listen for the silence. Silent Respiration of Forests-Yosemite: Yosemite #23, Courtesy of Boogie Woogie Photography ![]() The Hasselblad camera with 6×6 cm film is more convenient and suitable for capturing fleeting moments. The large format camera with 4×5 inches film makes him possible to record the details and gives him more time to contemplate while setting the camera. Unlike the rapid snapping of pictures that most people experience, an image is photographed one at a time. He is curious how the lens will capture the air in various places in different countries. Shikama always carries cameras when traveling. Lured by this mysterious sensation, Shikama started to travel all over Japan, visiting the depth of forests and continuing to take photographs. Owing to the invaluable experience of spending the next ten years building the cottage, his sensitivity towards nature came to be fully awakened. Although many years have elapsed since then, he still vividly remembers the feeling as he sat astride the felled-down trees, stripping them of their barks. To clear a plot of land for constructing a lodge inside a small forest, Shikama had to fell Japanese red pine trees some eighty years old. Looking back, he feels that this all began with the decision to build a mountain lodge with his hands. Silent Respiration of Forests – Hokkaido: Komatsubara, Courtesy of Boogie Woogie Photography
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