 Costume/SHISUTA (a nun), 2003 c-print, 32 x 40 inches Tomoko Sawada Costume Zabriskie Gallery exhibits a recent series of color photographs by the young Japanese photographer Tomoko Sawada. Continuing her exploration of identity by photographing herself, Sawada focuses on the attitudes elicited by occupational dress in this series of self-portraits entitled "Costume". In her earlier series "ID-400" and "Omiai", exhibited last year at Zabriskie Gallery, Sawada altered her make-up, clothing and facial expressions to miraculously transform herself into a variety of believable female characters. This time the focus is on uniforms and the clothes associated with certain jobs, a theme inspired by her own work experience. From her past experiences working as a supermarket clerk and a waitress and more recently as a lecturer at the Seian University of Art and Design, she noticed that "people's attitude toward another person changes greatly according to their occupation". She set out to explore this powerful interchange between status, identity and work as symbolized by different uniforms. Sawada is not a photographer in the traditional sense; rather, she uses her body as a canvas. Although she never clicks the shutter, in this series the frame has expanded to reveal her character centered in her surrounding environs. Everyday vignettes of a stern policewoman in blue (Fukei), a beaming nun in a habit (Shisuta), a welcoming landlady in kimono (Okami), a busy vegetable vendor in an orange apron (Yaoya) and a proper receptionist in a pink vest (Uketsukejo) among others are captured in lush color prints. Compared to her previous series, Sawada's face is recognizable throughout. She has retained her dead-pan sense of humor and charming execution but by presenting herself in this range of occupations, Sawada challenges the viewer's expectations that are based on the social status of the jobs. Tomoko Sawada was born in 1977 in Kobe, Japan, where she continues to work. She attended Seian University of Art and Design, completing degrees in Media Design and Photography. She has been included in numerous group shows in Japan, Europe and the US. Her first solo exhibition in the US was at Zabriskie Gallery in 2003. In 2004 she was awarded the prestigious "Kimura Ihei Memorial Photography Award for Young Japanese Photographer" as well as the "International Center of Photography Infinity Award" in the category of "Young Photographer". Exhibition: October 5 - November 13, 2004 Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat 10 am - 5:30 pm Zabriskie Gallery 41 East 57 Street USA-New York NY 10022 Telephone +1 212 752.1223 Fax +1 212 752.1224 Email info@zabriskiegallery.com www.zabriskiegallery.com |
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