
Photographer & Creator
Chika Usui
とある限界集落に佇む人間そっくりのかかしたちと出会ったことをきっかけに、かかしと一緒に自らが映り込むセルフポートレート撮影を開始する。その後、奥播磨かかしの里のかかし制作者に直談判をし弟子入り。自らの分身となる”かかしのチナちゃん”を制作。
現在はPhotographer、またCreatorとして、チナちゃんと共に日々奮闘。野山を駆け回りかかしたちと戯れている。
写真を通して、見た人が明るく楽しくなるような写真をモットーに制作に取組んでいる。
– Profile –
1988年 6月8日、福岡県北九州市に生まれる。双子座の0型。
2000年 小学6年生の時、パラリンピックの映像をテレビで見て感動、将来は義肢装具士になると決める。三味線を習い始める。
2001年 中学時代は陸上部に所属。長距離を専門とし、駅伝大会やロードレースに出場。
2004年 県立高校普通科へ進学。マネージャーとして陸上部に3年間所属。
2006年 母急死。
2007年 高校を卒業後、義肢装具士を目指し熊本の専門学校へ入学。
2009年 アルバイト代を貯め、一眼レフカメラを買う。熊本での学校生活や友人とのルームシェアの様子を撮る。
2010年 義肢装具士国家資格取得。地元北九州へ戻り義肢装具士として働き始める。友人の結婚式、子供を撮ったり週末にはカメラを持って出かけるようになる。
2015年 諸事情により家を失う。一家離散。
2016年 日本写真映像専門学校 フォトファイン学科 入学
2017年 日本写真映像専門学校 フォトファイン学科 卒業 フォトマスター検定2級 合格。兵庫県姫路市の写真館に勤めた後、結婚。11月より写真家である夫とともに見聞を広めるべく東南アジア一周旅をする。
2018年 マレーシア・カンボジア・ベトナム・ラオス・タイ・スリランカ・台湾と約6ヶ月、7カ国の旅を終えて日本に帰国。
2019年 KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT 12Artistsに夫婦共作の作品で選出され京都で個展を開催。11月にはパリ、サンジェルマン・デ・プレ地区のギャラリーに招聘され個展を開催。同時期に幅2mの特大印刷をした作品計10点を奥播磨かかしの里内に設置し屋外展示を行った。
2020年 前年に続きKYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT 10Artistsに史上初となる2年連続で選出をされる。ニューヨークの出版社より夫婦共作の写真集を刊行。
– Awards –
2016年 APAアワード2017 入選
2017年 明治安田生命 マイハピネスコンテスト 入選
2017年 PHOTO IS 50,000人の写真展2017 心に響いた100選 (野口健 選)
2018年 御苗場2018 Wonder Foto Day賞
2019年 KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT 2019 12Artists
2019年 KYOTOGRAPHIE Paris Gallery First Floor Award
2020年 KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT 2020 10Artists
– Group Exhibitions –
2018年 御苗場 (CASO, 大阪)
2019年 Wonder Foto Day (松山文創園區, 台湾)
2019年 fotofever (カルーセル・デュ・ルーブル, パリ)
2019年 KG+ IN TOKYO (Art-U room, 東京)
– Solo Exhibitions –
2019年 ”運命共同体 -Communities bound together by a common destiny-” (KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT, 京都)
2019年 ”Hello! The Beautiful Kakashi World!” (奥播磨かかしの里, 姫路)
2019年 ”Communities bound together by a common destiny” (BERGONZO FIRST FLOOR, パリ)
2020年 ”The Beautiful Kakashi World” (KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT, 京都)
– Publication –
2020 “運命共同体 – Communities bound together by a common destiny -” (AVGI, New York)
One day in the small village, I met many human-like scarecrows and I started taking self-portraits with them. After that, I directly talked to the only one scarecrow artist in Okuharima Scarecrow village (Himeji, Hyogo pre, Japan) and became his disciple. I asked him how to make scarecrows and I created a scarecrow that looks just like me.
I named this scarecrow “Chinatsu,” another way to read Chinese characters of my name “Chika(千夏).”
I’m the only scarecrow photographer & creator in the world now.
In fact, these photos visualize the social problems that Japan has. The story behind the scarecrows is depopulation problems, birth rates and an aging population in Japan. Currently, Japan is facing those problems and the scarecrows are the ones that symbolize those problems.
The population of the village is only 9 now and the average age of the villagers is over 80. The scarecrows are made and set up to attract more people to the village (with more than 130 scarecrows in the village now).
It is true that this is a serious problem for Japan, therefore, I would be glad if I could create an opportunity to attract as many people as possible through my photos.
– Profile –
2020. – I was selected for two consecutive years for the first time in the history of the KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+ Select. Chika & Ichio Usui’s first photo book has been published by AVGI in New York.
2019. – As the collaborative duo, “Chika & Ichio Usui,” we were included in the KG+ “Select 12 Artists” category, and held a solo exhibition in Kyoto during the 2019 KYOTOGRAPHIE [Kyoto International Photography Festival]. In November 2019, we held a solo exhibition in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district in Paris, France. At the same time, I set up 10 of my own artwork in Okuharima Scarecrow village and exhibited them outside.
2018. – In late March, We have visited Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Taiwan in about 5 months. after traveling seven countries we came back to Japan.
2017. – Graduated Japan Institute of Photography and Film photo fine subject and obtained a Photomaster certification for second grade.
Within the year, I started working at a photo studio in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. I got married as well and traveled around Southeast Asia with my husband who is also a photographer.
2015. – Lost our house and our family decided to live separately.
2010. – Passed the national qualification to become professional Prosthetist and Orthotist. Returned to Kitakyushu and started working as a Prosthetist and Orthotist. At the same time I also started taking photos of my friends’ weddings and children.
2009. – I had a part-time job and bought a single lens camera. I started taking photos of my school life in Kumamoto. I shared a room with my friends during my stay there.
2007. – Graduated from High school and entered a vocational school in Kumamoto to become prosthetist and orthotist.
2006. – The sudden death of my mother.
2004. – I entered high school.
2001. – I belong to the track and field club of my Junior High school.
2000. – during my sixth grade in elementary, I was moved by the video of Paralympic Games on TV and decided to become a prosthetist and orthotist in the future. I also started learning shamisen this year.
1988. – Born in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan on June 8. Zodiac sign is Gemini. Blood type is O.
– Awards –
2020. – KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT 2020 10Artists
2019. – KYOTOGRAPHIE Paris Gallery First Floor Award
2019. – KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT 2019 12Artists
2018. – Wonder Foto Day Award
2017. – Meiji Yasuda Life My Happiness Contest Selected
2017. – PHOTO IS 50,000 photo exhibitions 2017 100 selections that resonated with the heart (Selected by Ken Noguchi)
2016. – APA Awards2017
– Group Exhibitions –
2019. – KG+ IN TOKYO (Art-U room, Tokyo)
2019. – fotofever (Carrousel du Louvre, Paris)
2019. – Wonder Foto Day (Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Taiwan)
2019. – Onaeba (CASO, Osaka)
– Solo Exhibitions –
2020. – ”The Beautiful Kakashi World” (KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT, Kyoto)
2019. – ”Communities bound together by a common destiny” (BERGONZO FIRST FLOOR, Paris)
2019. – ”Hello! The Beautiful Kakashi World!” (Okuharima Scarecrow village, Himeji)
2019. – ”Communities bound together by a common destiny” (KYOTOGRAPHIE KG+SELECT, Kyoto)
– Publication –
2020 “運命共同体 – Communities bound together by a common destiny -” (AVGI, New York)