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.
1960 | Born in Kyoto, Japan |
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. |
2017 | Participated in SAMURAI FOTO group exhibition 2017 |
2018 | Participated in SAMURAI FOTO group exhibition 2018 |
2018 | Awarded an Honorable Mention [ Articulating the Subconscious Mind ] in the 2018 International Photography Awards Professional division. |
2019 | Participated in the NOVOSIBIRSK INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY in Russia |