髙橋 こうた

 

写真家 / 1986年 秋田県生まれ。2011年 東日本大震災の復興支援活動を機に、社会勉強のため、2012年から約5年に渡り日本各地をひとり旅する。旅を通じて地方創生に関心をもち、故郷秋田の魅力発信を目的とした写真作品を制作し、2019年1月に初個展を開催。

その後も主に社会問題をテーマに創作活動に取り組み、東京・パリ・ドバイなど国内外で作品を展示。現在は作家活動の他、アートイベントの企画運営にも携わる。

 

 

Kouta Takahashi

 

Photographer / Born in Akita, Japan in 1986. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, she traveled around Japan by herself for about five years starting in 2012 to study society. Through his travels, he has also developed an interest in regional revitalization and created photographic works aimed at revitalizing his hometown of Akita, and will hold his first solo exhibition in January 2019. 

Since then, he has been engaged in creative activities mainly on the theme of social issues, and has exhibited his works in Japan and abroad, including Tokyo, Paris and Dubai. He is currently involved in planning and organizing art events as well as working as a photographer.  

 

私が作品制作を行う上で、根底にあるのは「写真で人生は変わる」です。

 

以前、東京出身の友人に、故郷秋田で撮影した写真を見せたところ、その友人は秋田に関心をもち、実際に現地を訪れてくれました。その際、伝統芸能や食文化に深く興味を示したようで、それ以降、毎月 秋田に通うようになったのです。

 

私が友人に見せたのは観光名所の写真ではなく、実家に暮らす祖父の日常を撮影したものでした。何気ない日常風景から秋田の魅力が伝わり、さらに友人の人生を変えた写真の影響力に心惹かれ、私は写真家を志ました。

 

そもそも写真に関心をもったきっかけは、2011年の東日本大震災です。復興支援活動を通じて、自分がいかに日本社会について無知であるかを痛感し、翌2012年より約5年間、写真を撮りながら日本各地をひとり旅しました。その過程で様々な人と対話し、地方と大都市の関係性からみえた社会問題、日本が誇る伝統文化の消滅危機、刻一刻と進行する自然破壊など、数々の現実を目の当たりにしました。

 

旅で感じた社会に対する気づきは、今後、自分の作品制作に大きな影響をもたらす筈です。だからこそ私はこの先 写真で何を表現できるのか、世の中に何を伝え、人々の心にどのような影響を与えられるか興味があります。

私の作品が、見ていただいた方の人生において何かしらのお役に立てたら幸いです。

 

髙橋こうた

 

 

The foundation of my works is to "change lives through my photography".

 

A while ago I showed my friend, who was born in Tokyo, a photo of my hometown in Akita prefecture. He became interested in Akita and visited the exact location of the photo I showed him. During his visit, he became deeply fascinated with Akita’s traditional performing arts and its food culture. After his first visit, he kept visiting Akita once every month. 

 

I didn’t show my friend a photo of a famous tourist attraction. I showed a daily life photo of my Grandfather in Akita. It was just a regular day where the landscape was as it always was. It was enough to show the beauty of Akita to my friend and I realized how much I could touch people’s hearts and the significant effect it had. That is when I was inspired to be a photographer. 

 

I became interested in photography because of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Taking part through various reconstruction support activities, I realized how ignorant I was about Japanese Society. I did a photo expedition for five years throughout all of Japan from 2012. During my travels, I spoke with people about their different circumstances, various fascinating Japanese cultures, individual social issues, and the impact of environmental destruction.

 

Any doubts or realizations of the world I developed on my expedition needed to have a great impact on how I interact with society and my photography. That’s why I am interested in what type of messages I can portray to the world and how it can affect people’s lives.

I hope that my photos could provide some enlightenment in your life. 

 

Kouta Takahashi