The title Manda-la was chosen in the image of the mandalas crated by Buddhist painters, in which objects and figures are placed in central positions to express those figures’ world. What began as a project in Usami’s university days, photographing his friends, has become the artist’s lifework - yet it has remained unexhibited for almost twenty years. Having come about by the act of recording those close to him, Usami’s project has now advanced from Hokkaido all the way to Okinawa, and looks set to spread its course even wider in the time to come.
Main image: Image courtesy of Mizuma Gallery
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