Zen Foto Gallery is delighted to present “Soul Trip”, an exhibition of photographs by Hideka Tonomura from Friday, October 25th to Saturday, November 30th. Through the love between Tonomura’s grandfather, who is Korean and her grandmother who is Japanese, “Soul Trip” questions what it means for people to love each other. The work was shown for the first time at the exhibition “Transcendence”, an associate programme produced by Kyotographie and Sigma and supported by Kering, at this year’s Arles International Photography Festival (1 July – 29 September) and received a lot of exposure. This exhibition at our gallery and at T3 Photo Asia (19-21 October) will be the first time this work is shown in Japan. In conjunction with the exhibition, Zen Foto Gallery will publish a photobook under the same title.

“My trip to Seoul evolved into a trip to the very ‘soul’ of my grandfather and grandmother.

The love between my grandfather and grandmother transcended national borders.
They lived in love from the time they crossed three mountains in Tsuruga to the time of their death, but at the time there was profound sadness surrounding the border of Japan and Korea. This sorrow echoed like someone’s scream of hatred, which resonated through my grandparents’ love, and roared darkly within me too.

My first trip to Seoul was in 2012.
I felt as if I had left half my heart behind, as if it was burning inside me.
I fell in love with Seoul.

The journey was full of strange coincidences, and was blessed with friendships, the presence of which melted my sadness away.
Korea, which I had once regarded as dark and distant, came to shimmer with light.

My grandmother, who was Japanese, died as a Korean, wearing the Korean bridal gown she requested.

Love is freedom.
And freedom is a heavy thing.

My grandmother’s strong will taught me what it means to love someone.

Life is not a matter of chance but of necessities, and the source of life is love
Just as my grandparents simply loved each other —
Let us simply love.

Let us simply love, despite the sadness of borders and the voices of hatred.

My love for Seoul has become one of my most beautiful memories, which lives in my life alongside the souls of my grandparents.”

—Hideka Tonomura