Emily Shur's Shizenkan
Shizenkan is a Japanese word that translates to “one’s own perspective on nature”.
I have continued to photograph in Japan since my first visit in 2004 because I have never enjoyed the act of taking pictures anywhere else more. Photographing there has been peaceful, challenging, and exciting. I’ve allowed myself to make the pictures I truly want to make and to respect my own process. My photographs are illustrative of what I find beautiful, interesting, and calming about Japan. My intention is to preserve that state of mind within myself through these photographs.
Over time, I’ve become interested in vegetation and the natural world as symbols of morality in Japanese culture. I identify deeply with the level of respect that nature commands there, as well as the mesmerizing attention to detail prevalent within Japanese life. This honoring of nature is indicative of a certain way of thinking; a collective consciousness that goes beyond simply caring for plants and animals. It is a way of life in Japan, and the way I want to live.
Emily Shur is a Los Angeles, CA based artist.
To view more of Emily's work, please visit her website.
Read Larissa Leclair's interview with Emily here.
Parking Lot, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, 2009
Gold Car, Minami-Senju, Tokyo, 2009
Imperial Palace Gardens with Pink Flowers, Tokyo, 2006
Flower Box, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, 2009
Morning in Shibuya, Tokyo, 2009
Rikugien Garden, Tokyo, 2009
Covered Moped, Tsukishima, 2009
Delivery, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 2009
Fall Colors, Nikko, 2009
Two Trees, Ise-Shima, 2004
Demolition, Nikko, 2009
Fire, Ise-Shima, 2004
Laundry, Takao, 2009
Dog Statues, Takao, 2009
Butterfly, Takao, 2009
Stream, Ise-Shima, 2004
Columns, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 2009
Imperial Palace Gardens with Stone Wall, Tokyo, 2006
Hama Rikyu Garden, Tokyo, 2009
Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo, 2009