This month's exhibition brings together photographic works that capture animals living in close harmony with the natural world, shaped by the environments they inhabit. Alongside this sense of quiet strength, fleeting moments of tenderness and intimacy reveal softer expressions, offering images that gently resonate with warmth.
Featuring interviews with wildlife photographers Akira Sato and Ruriko Sato, as well as underwater photography enthusiasts Kenta Hiramoto and Michiko Hiramoto, the exhibition invites viewers to look beyond the images themselves. Through the artists’ reflections, we explore the intentions behind their work and the subtle sensitivity that emerges from deep, sustained engagement with nature.
Akira Sato: “If forests are able to exist as they were meant to, the oceans can also remain as they should. When forests lose their natural form, the oceans inevitably follow.
Not only in Japan, but on a global scale, I hope this work encourages reflection on what we can do, and how, to protect the richness of our natural environments.”
Kenta Hiramoto: “When I dive in Hokkaido, I am often asked whether winter diving is really possible, or if there are even any creatures to see. In reality, the underwater world here transforms dramatically with each season, revealing an environment of remarkable depth and beauty. Through my work, I hope visitors can catch a glimpse of this ever-changing world beneath the surface.”
Akira Sato: “Hokkaido’s four seasons are clearly defined, each offering its own distinct character. From the freshness of spring to the harshness of winter, I have photographed wildlife as they live through these cycles, in the hope of sharing their lives, particularly with visitors from overseas.”
Kenta Hiramoto: “I hope viewers can slow down, relax, and simply feel the presence of the natural world beneath the water.”
Akira Sato: “I will continue to pursue and photograph both the tenderness and resilience of the wildlife that inhabits Hokkaido’s remarkable landscapes.”
Kenta Hiramoto: “Underwater photography is a world of once-in-a-lifetime encounters. I aim to treasure each dive and carefully capture scenes that can only exist in that single moment.”
By engaging with the questions and intentions behind each work, viewers are invited to form their own interpretations. As we begin to notice what lies beneath the surface, the world revealed through these images grows richer, opening the door to facets of nature we may not yet have encountered.
Step into the ever-expanding world of nature and wildlife through photography, and experience a new moment in Hokkaido at the Ki Niseko Gallery.
