OGURO Kumi

Over the course of his 20-year career as a photographer, two collections of his work have been published: NOISE (2008) and HESTER (2021). The work presented in these are not a compilation of two separate series. Both are part of a continuous stream, showing the artist's development, changes, and con...

Over the course of his 20-year career as a photographer, two collections of his work have been published: NOISE (2008) and HESTER (2021). The work presented in these are not a compilation of two separate series. Both are part of a continuous stream, showing the artist's development, changes, and consistent characteristics. Using female models, or rather their bodies or parts thereof, the artist creates a world that has no logical flow or comprehensible story. It is akin to a dream you have just before you wake up. HESTER is a selection from works created between 2008 and 2018. HESTER is the title of the work included in the book and was originally the name of a woman in A Prayer forOwen Meany by John Irving. I am very drawn to HESTER, this fictional woman with a very extreme cakter. Extroverted, violent and messed up, but at the same time sensitive, loving and charming. This duality is very important to me, and I would like to lovingly call all the women in my work HESTER. NOISE, the title of my previous work, is also the title of one of my works, in which someone said to me, "There is noise in this image. A faint noise coming from a radio that is difficult to tune. It is irritating, but at the same time, it is even more bothersome because it is not clearly audible. I think of my works as such, then and now. During mytwenty years of career, 2 photo books have been published: NOISE (2008) and HESTER (2021). They are in acontinuation in which my development and evolution as artist and also what isconsistent can be found. I work withfemale models, or rather (a part of) their body, in staged settings to create aworld without any logical flow or narrative, which is similar to our wakingdreams. In HESTER my photographs from 2008 to 2018are bundled together. HESTER is the title of one of the photographs featured andoriginally taken from a I am drawn to this particular fictional female, Hester, because ofher extreme nature; she is With a lot of affection, I couldcall all the women in my photographs 'Hester'. The title ofmy first book NOISE is also takenfrom one of the works included, of which someone once said "This image hasnoise". It is disturbing but at the same time,it makes you more curious as you cannot really capture what is behind thatnoise. The images Icreate have been, and still are just like such noise.