In the book “In Praise of Shadows” by Junichiro Tanizaki, published in 1933, it is observed that the Japanese places value on the negation of objects, their “shadows”.

This serves as the foundation of ancient Japanese aesthetics. The Japanese aesthetics rejects the infatuation of all things immaculate and new, but begin to enjoy objects when the luster has worn off. The aging as a process that symbolizes the intrinsic value of that which endures, and therefore, is to be respected.

“We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates… Were it not for shadows, there would be no beauty.”

SHADOWS is a project which aims to bring that ancient Japanese aesthetic to a wider audience.