Noriko Aoyama / 青山紀子
I have survived through the instability of a competitive society as a freelance photographer since the 1980s, when there were hardly any females in the field of commercial photography in Japan. However, I realized how powerless I was to do anything when the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami took place. This is because I didn't immediately think to help the people who were affected, despite the fact that I was working in the front line in an occupation that requires a lot of physical strength. From then on, I started searching for the best thing I could do. As expected, the answer involved photography, but with photographs that heal people and give them strength rather than commercial photographs. In order to produce these kinds of photographs, I dug deep within myself to seek the source of my pain. The reason for this is because I believed that being aware of my own pain would lead to being able to relieve the pain of others.
CV
1983 | Graduated from Nihon University College of Art |
1983-1985 | Worked as an assistant photographer |
1985 | Became independent as a freelance commercial photographer |
1993 | Established AOYAMA NORIKO Ltd. |
2011 | Started creating fine art works in earnest |
Activities
2020 | Solo exhibition - Gallery Storks |
2020 | SAMURAIFOTO group exhibition |
2019 | NOVOSIBIRSK INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY PHTOGRAPHY in Russia |
2018 | Portfolio Reviews at FOTOFEST international (Houston) |
2018 | SAMURAIFOTO group exhibition |
2017 | SAMURAIFOTO group exhibition |
Awards
2020 | Critical Mass Finalist Top 200 |
2020 | 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards , 4 Honorable Mentions |
2020 | PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris , Honorable Mention |
2020 | International Photography Awards( IPA2020 ) , Honorable Mention |
2018 | International Photography Awards( IPA2018 ) , Honorable Mention |