East and Southeast Asian Panorama Open Call: Meet the Grantee Keigo Wezel

How has your place of origin shaped your way of seeing and making photographs?

Japan is a visually charged country. There is such rich visual fluidity in design and visual landscape, I am always looking to capture the spaces in between, the objects that feel out of place. I attach a story, a new reality through photography. I wonder, what is this? Why is this here? It is almost like a huge playground for humans, playing with random toys that don’t have a purpose or a meaning, I basically do the same with the camera.

Also in Japan there is a strong connection and respect towards nature, people in Japan appreciate the ephemerality of it. I believe this strong connection that I grew up with has made me look at nature as a fragile yet dominant presence. Through my pictures, I want to give the viewer a space to reflect on this.

Untitled, 2024
Strange shapes of the sky.Keigo Wezel