║ Kanako Sasaki ║

“Kanako Sasaki’s photographs are largely self-portraits. Not only does she pose in her pictures, but the works are also inspired directly from her own childhood memories and imagination. Sasaki’s photos capture the concept of a “floating world”, or romanticized world where everything is peaceful and beautiful and nature is flourishing. She is influenced by various Japanese novels and Ukiyo-e paintings. (Ukiyo-e is a genre style of painting and printmaking developed in Japan from the 17th to the 19th centuries and marked by the depiction of the leisure activities of ordinary people). Putting her own idiosyncratic twist on the popular theme of teenage girls growing up, Sasaki always dresses up in high fashion clothing, thus putting her own spin on the conventions of adolescence and recreation. Sasaki likes to let the audience see her work as if they are sharing the secret moments with the girl in the image. She wants them to conjure up their own memories of playing on the beach, as seen in Ambassador or as climbing and playing in the yard on trees as depicted in Swing Club.”
Source: Gallery 10G

More of her work can be seen here