Through the Lens of Aliscia Young:
Intangible fleeting moments of time captured within fractions of a second and then produced into a physical form, which is then named a photograph.
This is what I sought to bring to my audience when taking photographs recently in Tokyo, Japan. Forty-five minutes from Tokyo, in a prefecture called Kanagawa, I found a beautiful place named Kamakura, it was truly peaceful and beautiful. Kamakura is far removed from the sprawling concrete jungles of the International City. As a photographer, I wanted to uncover the amenity of nature tucked away in this magnificent place.
Water has always attracted me as a photographer, with its reflective and ever-rippling surface and the way light dances. The beautiful lotus flower pond called to me on this occasion – sacred and special, I captured my subject matter as it moved on the surface before me.
I wanted to then produce a dynamic range of prints from the series to share this visual beauty and warm the hearts of my viewers. I designed a small frame collection called “Kamakura Lotus Leaves”.
As I caught the train back to the city, I thought about Japan and especially Tokyo. As a centre of both old and new in culture and identity, Tokyo inspired a rush of ideas as the landscape flew past my windown on the JR train line. I jotted down a few thoughts:
Kamakura Lotus Leaves:
Light dances upon waters, colour illuminates the surface for those who watch closely. Fleeting moments of time reflect like mirrors.
Stories of the ancient world are buried beneath the surface. A thousand years of layers and memories are waters to many habitats. Some ancient, some new.
Today’s moments captured, tomorrow’s story yet to be told. These photographs reveal today’s story as one that dances with colour and light.
This collection has been showcased in an exhibition called Femmes d’Art Exhibition in Wellington, New Zealand, which is about female artists evoking emotions such as pure bliss and empathy through photography. The collection was such a hit that I decided to produce a second print and I also wanted to make them available at affordable prices.
The individual prints come in a range of sizes or you can choose a set of four framed prints that are constructed to fit inside each other – both look beautiful on a table or hanging on a wall. They give you a sense of peace, love and warmth through their vibrancy and colour. Because they are abstract photographs they will mesmerize you for hours! They come encased in white frames and make the perfect Christmas, birthday or wedding present.
Love Aliscia x
