Mizuki and the Sea
　　Mizuki’s connection to the sea began in her early years, growing up in a small, coastal town in Japan.
　　Through many encounters with timeless surf Mizuki’s five senses were introduced to a visual language expressed through nature.
　　Mizuki’s daily connection with the sea embedded a sleeping talent that grew within her senses one by one.

　　Common among extremely gifted athletes, Mizuki possesses a unique talent known as Dynamic visual acuity (DVA), or time slicing,
　　where the eye freeze frames what it sees at one fifty-thousandth of a second. Mizuki subconsciously mastered this gift.



　　Wide open seas, blue skies stretching into gazing horizons. Losing track of time underneath star filled evening skies. Folding layered
　　waves running up and down the shore in the twinkle of an eye. These images, along with countless spraying and splashing patterns,
　　all captivated Mizuki’s undivided attention.

　　At the time there was no distinct realization; an awareness that allowed Mizuki  to see each and every droplet of water.
　　This ability became natural to Mizuki like that of Hokusai’s Nami Ura no Fuji ( The Wave at the back of Mt  Fuji painting) and
　　Fugaku 36 scenery. (Kanagawa offing wave painting)

　　In order for Mizuki’s artistic talent to bloom and develop into its full potential the ingredients of life and time were necessary to allow
　　the perfect environment to germinate the seed of Mizuki’s talent.

Self expression
　　As a teenager, dancing taught Mizuki the inner beauty and depth of expression found through one’s own physical, body movement.
　　Through dance, Mizuki realized the power of expression without words and the impact it had on people. She realized that a world
　　without words was a far deeper place than the world with words.

　　Mizuki supported herself while continuing to study dance, and it wasnatural that she became an instructor.
　　The limitations of verbal expression became even more apparent when Mizuki encountered foreigners who lived in the metropolitan city
　　of Yokohama.

　　Mizuki discovered that, regardless of a person’s origin, life expressed a dialogue that could be felt and appreciated through shared
　　experiences.
　　Even though language differences exist, communication can be made through the language of earnest body language. 

Mizuki 1st camera encounter
　　Mizuki had no initial intention of becoming a photographer.
　　Mizuki has never studied photography at an academic level or studied under a master photographer.
　　Mizuki’ s first camera was camera acquired from a part time job.

　　Without really understanding the camera’s mechanisms she took photos of people and scenery photos as an amateur.
　　This was to her first encounter with a camera or so it would seem.
　　In actual fact Mizuki’s very first exposure to cameras was from her father at the age of 5 years old.
　　Mizuki’s father’s sole hobby was photography.

　　He would often take family photos and for a brief time he took Mizuki to various places to take photos.
　　Unfortunately he passed away when Mizuki was very young.
　　Mizuki’s father was a kind and easy-going man and whenever he held a camera, those around him would be prompted to be alert.
　　He was able to see through things at an extremely deep level and had a unique line in which he aimed his camera.

　　At a young age Mizuki would stare at her father in action entranced as he took many photos.
　　In an ever-changing world of existence, Mizuki captures the deep center of life, not artificial scenery or appearances, but movement of
　　the heart.
　　Mizuki’s continuous evolving can perhaps be best accredited to the influence of a master who was none other that of her father.

Uniqueness of Mizuki’s art
　　As a photographer Mizuki effortlessly captures what she sees from deep within her artist’s eye, not just photos of people and landscapes.
　　Everything in her photos is impartial with natural color and shape. The movement of life is captivated in each shot from Mizuki’s camera.

　　For instance, if Mizuki photographs the sun, she merges with it regardless of what may become of her.
　　It is through this experience where Mizuki’s art is created, looking at the same photo as if it is as warm and bright as the actual scene.

　　Standing in the river of a virgin forest, becoming one with the flow of the current, Mizuki’s shutter clicks another shot of completion.
　　The clean, clear coldness flows indefinitely from the picture.
　　A schoolteacher, seeing the photos Mizuki took of his students’ concert, once said, “I have never seen the children so ecstatic and full
　　of life.”

What are photos to Mizuki
 　　Photo art depends 99% on the camera and relies on a one-ten-thousandth-of-a-second moment in time.
　　To produce art with these limitations requires relentless concentration, which is difficult for most people.
　　Initially, Mizuki found it challenging to understand that to capture a moment in a photo needed hundreds of times more concentration
　　than other expression.

　　Time and again Mizuki found herself unbalanced and unsure of her work. Stress mounted and in her late twenties, Mizuki gave up and
　　destroyed her camera. Although she no longer possessed a camera, this did not mark the end of her photographic career, only a new
　　beginning.
　　Another artist advised her that if she truly wanted to resume her art, she should develop the art of taking photos without a camera!
　　For a while she did not understand what that meant.

　　However, one winter night, when the snow had stopped falling, she felt the desire to take a photo.
　　She borrowed a friend’s camera and went to a neighboring old Japanese-style house and tried to take a night view over the wall.
　　Even standing on her toes, Mizuki could not see over the high black wall.
　　She therefore lifted her camera above her head and continued to take photos of a scene she could feel, but could not see.

　　Behind the snow was a grove of Japanese Red pines, A small bamboo grove, long stems with elongated leaves spread out filled with
　　life in a brilliant array of color and life.
　　This was the scene captured in Mizuki’s shutter chance.


After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
　　Due to the tsunami that rocked the coastal areas of northeast Japan, towns and a wide area of nature had been completely destroyed.
　　Within this destruction and devastation it was the flora and fauna that made the first attempts of returning to a normal life.
　　After the disaster, unlike other photographers, Mizuki was initially unable to face the sadness of ruined buildings and towns abandoned
　　due to radiation problems.

　　Instead, Mizuki was touched by the small lives in nature striving to live amidst the destruction surrounding them.
　　Mizuki continued to photograph these signs of life, striving to live as if nothing had even happened.
　　Mizuki’s photos of these tiny lives innocently striving to survive inspired feelings of bravery in those who had also experience the horror
　　of this terrible disaster.

　　Feelings of passion and beauty, rather than simply sadness grew in those who viewed Mizuki’s photos.
　　Mizuki had been taking photos of the theme life for more than ten years prior to the disaster.
　　Now the time had come when this theme was especially vital for the reconstruction of humanity.

The influence of Mizuki’s photography
　　In the past, artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Marc Chagall revolutionized art by confronting the colors and movement
　　of the fundamental components of life.
　　The work by these artists still has a major influence on culture in our modern society and lifestyle, in which computers and cyborgs have
　　become mainstream and the theme of personal expression.

　　It would not be going too far to say that “Mizuki Photography” brings with it the opportunity to breathe new life into the feelings of
　　humanity and renewing our unity with nature, that seems to have been lost in modern art.
　　Mizuki’s photography has played a major role in providing relief and a feeling of safety for the minds of both children and adult, suffering
　　from stress and mental strain.

　　Unlike other artists, who are influenced by society or the media and work for self-promotion, Mizuki will not change her perspectives
　　of art and it is we who wish for Mizuki’s work to spread around with this message.


Apr. 2013.　Mizuki Photo Project