Photographs of sunlight from Ishinomaki, a city in north eastern Japan that was devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Amongst the disaster area, beauty sits beside tragedy. The everyday rise and fall of the sun across rivers and rice fields, homes and mountains, cherry blossoms and common grasses.
These views of simple natural beauty, mass media often bypasses in favour of sensation, are shown in the photographs Richard Byers took while he lived in Ishinomaki for part of 2012 working on his own public art project, meeting local citizens and collaborating with local artists.
The photographs are being produced as postcards and a calendar and also be presented at a series of exhibitions:
Tokyo - November 2012 at Gallery éf
Sydney - January 2013 at Gaffa
Ishinomaki - April & May 2013 at Hiyori Art Center
more information - http://ishinomaki.richardbyers.tk
Part of the sales from these products will be donated to the citizens restoration project of Ishinomaki Saint John the Apostle Orthodox Church. The wooden church built in 1880, was severely damaged by the earthquake & 6m tsunami in 2011. In April & May 2012 Richard Byers created a public art installation projecting interactive light onto the building.
http://rechurch-ishinomaki.blogspot.jp/
About the artist:
Richard Byers is an Australian artist, designer, illustrator & photographer based between Australia / Germany / Japan
http://richardbyers.tk