Emi Anrakuji (born 1963)[1] is a Tokyo-based legally blind Japanese photographer who makes self-portraits. She has produced a number of books with Nazraeli Press and her work is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. In 2006 Anrakuji won the New Photographer Prize of the Higashikawa Prize in Higashikawa, Japan.

Emi Anrakuji
Born1963
Tokyo
Alma materMusashino Art University
Known forPhotography
Websitewww.emianrakuji.com

Early life and education

edit

Anrakuji was born in Tokyo, Japan, where she also studied oil painting at Musashino Art University.[2] Soon after graduation, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor that ultimately caused the loss of sight in one eye.[2] The other eye has congenital amblyopia. While recovering in bed from the tumor, she taught herself photography.[3][4]

Career

edit

Anrakuji's photography subjects are consistently herself.[3] "Anrakuji's oeuvre includes a series of photography projects in which she zooms in on her body, never revealing her face."[1] HMMT? (How Many Miles To?) was her first photography series. A prize associated with the series brought her to the attention of Nazraeli Press, who subsequently released three of her books: Anrakuji (2006), e hagaki (2007) and IPY (2008).[5]

Her work is frequently exhibited in solo shows at Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery in Chelsea, Manhattan.[4][6]

Publications

edit

Books by Anrakuji

edit
  • Hmmt?. Osaka: Warp, 2005. ISBN 4860100646.
  • Anrakuji. Portland: Nazraeli, 2006. ISBN 159005167X.
  • e hagaki. One Picture Book 40. Portland: Nazraeli, 2007. ISBN 159005179-3. Edition of 500 copies.
  • IPY. Portland: Nazraeli, 2008. ISBN 978-1-59005-218-1.
  • Misho. Portugal: Shinto, 2017. Edited by Rui Ribeiral and Paulo Nozolino . With an essay by Anrakuji. Edition of 250 copies.
  • Balloon Position. Kyoto: Araaka Art, 2019. ISBN 978-4-86541-102-7. Edition of 500 copies.

Books with others

edit

Collections

edit

Anrakuji's work is held in the following permanent collections:

Awards

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Intimate Self-Portraits Document One Artist's Struggle With Disease". HuffPost. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  2. ^ a b "Emi Arakuji Biography - Emi Anrakuji official website". emianrakuji. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  3. ^ a b c Montrone, Donatella (9 July 2015). "Emi Anrakuji – '1800 millimetres. It's the size of my bed'". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  4. ^ a b "Emi Anrakuji". The New Yorker.
  5. ^ "Emi Anrakuji: A Passage Through Pain and Suffering". Exposure Magazine. 2018-09-12. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  6. ^ "Exhibitions - Emi Anrakuji official website". emianrakuji.com. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  7. ^ "Emi Anrakuji". Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
  8. ^ "ANRAKUJI Emi – 安楽寺 えみ". Higashikawa International Photo Festival. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  9. ^ "The 2019 PhotoBook Awards Shortlist". Aperture Foundation. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
edit