© Yumiko Utsu

Yumiko UtsuOUT of ARK

I have been shooting the series “Out of Ark” since 2006. In this series, I shoot strange creatures and scenes, which I create by imagining how diverse, complex, and chaotic the world left behind by Noah’s Ark must have been. How long has it been since Noah and the others left the Ark? As if to betray God’s word, the world has stubbornly populated itself with beautiful and strange creatures and humans. Those creatures and humans are born into the world and later disappear. I want to savor the beauty, humor, and rationality of the creatures and humans, who exist presently. We will witness the disappearance of many creatures, humans, and cultures caused by global warming and other conditions caused by human activity. I think about what needs to be done to get everyone to be grateful for, and not take for granted, what presently exists. I hope to make people reexamine the beauty, humor, and richness of various things by taking them out of their ordinary contexts and making them seem strange.

1978
Born in Tokyo
1997
Entered Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences at Waseda University
2001
Left Waseda University
2006
Awarded the 26th HITOTSUBO Photography Grand Prix