Red woven cover with two Japanese kanji symbols in reflective gold font.

Open two page book spread. Left page is a sepia colored photograph of a young girl. Right page is many red notecards with small Japanese typed words one one another.

Open two page book spread of slightly over exposed photographs with thick white page borders. Left is of a close up of a baby's feet in a onesie. Right is a leftover bowl of red gooey food.

Open two page book spread of photographs with thick white page borders. Left photo is of a little girl holding a large paper with doodles and Japanese writing. Right photo is of a group of people holding up signs, with the girl standing in the middle.

Open two page book spread of a photograph of multiple people standing in the middle of the woods, with sun shining through the leaves onto them.

hanayo, Hajime Sawatari - Tenko (Limited Edition)

$ 85.00

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Hardcover, 6" x 8.25", 368 pages, 308 images, Limited edition of 1500 .

Hanayo found the Alice book on her way home from school. She was 15.
Tenko moved to Tokyo and met Hajime Sawatari. She was 15.
In London, when Alice was photographed, Hanayo was 3.
Alice was Tenko’s favourite book when she was 3.
When Hanayo moved to London, she was 19.
Tenko left Tokyo and Hanayo. She was 19.
The universe cycles. The wonders of life.

-From the artist's statement

Tenko, her beloved daughter, has always been an important subject for Japanese artist Hanayo. After the birth of Tenko, Hanayo has documented her daughter’s growing up between Tokyo and Berlin, in her double capacity as mother and artist.
One of the first and second books Tenko came into contact with during her childhood was “Shojo Arisu (Alice)” (1973) by Hajime Sawatari, In Hanayo’s photos, Tenko can be seen squatting over the photo book, reading in it as if it were a picture book.
At 15, Tenko met the creator of this favourite book of hers, photographer Hajime Sawatari. After their initial encounter, Tenko went on to become one of Sawatari’s most important photographic subjects. Five years later, the two have collaborated on photographic works that carry the mystical, distant sensuality of the original “Alice” photobook.

The photo book “Tenko” is an intersection between Hanayo’s photos, taken in her role as Tenko’s mother, and Hajime Sawatari’s mystical, sensual photos inspired by Tenko’s favourite childhood book, Sawatari’s “Alice”.