Introduction to the Show

Akio Tomari is an unusual person. He’s incapable of complex conversation. That’s because he always sees through to the essence of things in a flash.

More than ten years ago, I started working with Tomari on a series of articles while I was an editor at a lifestyle magazine. It was a long series that went on for over four years. There were 50 photo shoots, maybe more, mostly on location. Not once did I see Tomari have any trouble creating a picture.

The stylists and I were always having trouble. We’d move one thing from here to over there, and another thing from over there to here. We’d worry about the time and fret about the sun. Whenever a new idea came into our heads about making a big change to the scene, we’d go ahead and do it.

While we were frantically trying to figure out the best way to make use of the equipment and conditions on location, Tomari would always take a good look around and conclude, slowly and deliberately, “If we do it this way, it’ll be good.” Then, in no time flat he would take a great picture.

If you think it’s a virtue not to be beholden to people’s opinions, then Tomari was not just a good person but a great person. If anything, his opinions influenced others. His hidden power of persuasion resided in his big eyes.

With my eyes I can’t see things breathing slowly in and out. Most people don’t notice the things that are right in front of them. Their logical reasoning actually confuses things.

But Tomari’s eyes see all the things around him very clearly. And he is able to capture them on film. STILL LIFE, photographs by Akio Tomari, is a must-see.　—Hiroko Wakai

TOMARI Akio / Profile
Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, in 1955. Went independent as a stylist in 1983. Started working as a photographer in 1993. The seasonal magazine “hinism” (started in 2004, ceased publication after issue no. 9 in 2008) aimed to reach its readers with a visual message and had a big impact. Active in a broad range of areas including writing and advertising.

http://www.littaitomari.jp