chino otsuka inserts her adult self into photos from her youth

chino otsuka inserts her adult self into photos from her youth
(above) chino otsuka, 1982 and 2005
paris, france from the series imagine finding me, 2005
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm
all images courtesy of AIMIA | AGO photography prize © chino otsuka

narrating the past and present simultaneously, japanese photographer chino otsuka documents her cultural identity, ideas about displacement, and international travels through a series of photos that present her adult self, standing beside an image of her as a child. the images that make up ‘imagine finding me’ are seamlessly integrated digital composites of the artist in different stages of life in various places around the world, cataloging the biographical materials into one synthesized shot. ‘the digital process becomes a tool, almost like a time machine, as I’m embarking on the journey to where I once belonged and at the same time becoming a tourist in my own history.’, otsuka explains of the both the nostalgic and unfamiliar territory probed within the set. the portraits taken of the artist as a youngster — shyly posing in front of her family home, and whimsically enjoying a baguette on a trip to paris — united with the mature and developed woman she presently is, invite the viewer to imagine what might have been, and provoke a poignant awareness of the brevity of time.

chino otsuka, 1976 and 2005
kamakura, japan from the series imagine finding me, 2005
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1982 and 2006
tokyo, japan from the series imagine finding me, 2006
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1975 and 2005
spain from the series imagine finding me, 2005
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1980 and 2009
nagayama, japan from the series imagine finding me, 2009
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1981 and 2006
ofuna, japan from the series imagine finding me, 2006
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1984 and 2005
london, uk from the series imagine finding me, 2005
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1979 and 2006
kitakamakura, japan from the series imagine finding me, 2006
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1984 and 2005
richmond hotel, france from the series imagine finding me, 2005
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1977 and 2009
jardin du luxembourg, france from the series imagine finding me, 2009
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1985 and 2005
beijing, china from the series imagine finding me, 2005
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm

chino otsuka, 1975 and 2009
pont des arts, france from the series imagine finding me, 2009
chromogenic print, 305 mm x 406 mm