WHAT REMAINS UNSEEN

I followed the work of Sakura Momma, a Japanese bead embroidery artist living in Paris. I have known her and her work for many years. The moment I saw her pieces, I fell in love with their delicacy, beauty, and meticulous detail. At that time, I could never have imagined that I would one day photograph her work — especially in Paris. But in fact, it makes sense. Although Japanese embroidery has a long history, having developed from folk and popular culture, Sakura Momma uses the Lunéville embroidery technique from France, traditionally employed in haute couture to produce her pieces. Wanting to reveal the artist’s manual process, I choose to photograph her hands at close range, using natural light, color photography in order to capture the way light enters the work — the shimmer of the materials, the shadows cast across the intricate embroidery, the iridescent glow of a special Japanese fabric, and the comfort of her interior space where these works are created. My photography project conveys how she engages with her work, for viewers to become aware of the background behind the beautifully adorned objects that often appear before us as if they were simply given.