I came across these images by Japanese photographer Motoyuki Daifu earlier this year through a review in the New Yorker of his show, “Lovesody” at Lombard Freid Projects. There’s nothing pretty about them, rather, they’re messy, tiring, and I was drawn in.
They document the days of a young Japanese mother of two, with whom Daifu fell in love. He said the photographs were, “originally meant just for the two of us,” and the magazine points out “that’s precisely what draws the viewer in.”
They’re honest. Almost mundane, but not dull. They’re imbued with a raw sense of everyday life. Slightly gritty. A bit peeping Tom-ish, but not titillating. They really portray the drudgery of motherhood, but not in an ironic or self-conscious way. I had put off posting them all this time because I wasn’t sure if people would relate or respond to them. I’m curious to know what they evoke for you.
Hello Kitty, 2011.
Bath, 2011
Leftover, 2011
Love Hotel and Karaoke, 2011
Diaper, 2011
Mother at Sink, 2011
Family, 2011
Nightwear of Winnie the Pooh, 2011