2020 - ongoing
RADIANT CHILDREN
Unique c-print photograms (dissected gas-mask for children, sunlight, artist's breath), metal frame
Installation: 21 x 35 x 0.75 in. each (Combination of 20 x 16 in. and 11 x 14 in. prints)
Radiant Children is an ongoing series starting in 2020 and delves into the context of the War in Ukraine which escalated during 2022. At its core, the project echoes the overarching themes of war, peace, and protection. The series comprises C-print photograms crafted by exposing photo papers to sunlight alongside a dissected Cold-War era gas mask designed for children in the Soviet Union which was widely distributed to Ukraine children after the Chernobyl incident.
This body of work intertwines the contemporary challenges posed by these historical crises marked by invisible threats, drawing parallels to events such as the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the Cold War, and the Spanish Flu. The small gas mask, once a safeguard against a looming invisible threat, is now subject to examination, dismantling, and eternally captured in these prints. It stands as a symbol of sacrifices made in the past, being made in the present, and anticipated in the future.
Radiant Children underscores our collective responsibility to glean wisdom from history, shaping a safer and brighter future for generations to come. As an ongoing exploration, the project invites you to question the realities of both war and peace and the enduring relevance of these narratives in our contemporary landscape.
2020 - ongoing
RADIANT CHILDREN
Unique c-print photograms (dissected gas-mask for children, sunlight, artist's breath), metal frame
Installation: 21 x 35 x 0.75 in. each (Combination of 20 x 16 in. and 11 x 14 in. prints)
Radiant Children is an ongoing series starting in 2020 and delves into the context of the War in Ukraine which escalated during 2022. At its core, the project echoes the overarching themes of war, peace, and protection. The series comprises C-print photograms crafted by exposing photo papers to sunlight alongside a dissected Cold-War era gas mask designed for children in the Soviet Union which was widely distributed to Ukraine children after the Chernobyl incident.
This body of work intertwines the contemporary challenges posed by these historical crises marked by invisible threats, drawing parallels to events such as the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the Cold War, and the Spanish Flu. The small gas mask, once a safeguard against a looming invisible threat, is now subject to examination, dismantling, and eternally captured in these prints. It stands as a symbol of sacrifices made in the past, being made in the present, and anticipated in the future.
Radiant Children underscores our collective responsibility to glean wisdom from history, shaping a safer and brighter future for generations to come. As an ongoing exploration, the project invites you to question the realities of both war and peace and the enduring relevance of these narratives in our contemporary landscape.
© 2023 by Kei Ito.
Created on Editor X.
Sungazing
2015 - Ongoing
108 of 8”x10” prints, Scroll: 12” x 150’ to 220’ depending on the edition
On August 6th 1945, at 8:15 AM, my grandfather witnessed a great tragedy that destroyed nearly everything in Hiroshima. He survived the bombing, yet he lost many of his family members from the explosion and radiation poisoning. As an activist and author, my grandfather fought against the use of nuclear weaponry throughout his life, until he too passed away from cancer when I was ten years old. I remember him saying that day in Hiroshima was like hundreds of suns lighting up the sky.
In order to express the connection between the sun and my family history, I have created 108 letter size prints and a 200 foot long scroll, made by exposing Type-C photographic paper to sunlight. The pattern on the prints/scroll corresponds to my breath. In a darkened room, I pulled the paper in front of a small aperture to expose it to the sun while inhaling, and paused when exhaling. I repeated this action until I breathed 108 times. 108 is a number with ritual significance in Japanese Buddhism; to mark the Japanese New Year, bells toll 108 times, ridding us of our evil passions and desires, and purifying our souls.
If the black parts of the print remind you of a shadow, it is the shadow of my breath, which is itself a registration of my life, a life I share with and owe to my grandfather. The mark of the atomic blast upon his life and upon his breath was passed on to me, and you can see it as the shadow of this print.