We are now accepting orders for the artist book “By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.” by Tomohiro Sato.
Tomohiro Sato participated in the “Photobook as Object” workshop held at Reminders Photography Stronghold in 2022, where he worked on creating this book.
The Sumida River, where the main photography of this book took place, is one of the tributaries of the Arakawa River, connecting to Tomohiro’s hometown in northern Saitama Prefecture. The photos taken while walking upstream brought back fragmented memories of his childhood. Moreover, Tomohiro realized that many of the places and activities he shares with his own children now overlap with the memories of his parents from his childhood.
This book expresses the endearing and poignant repetition of the parent-child relationship that drifts apart across generations, the ambiguity of memories that cannot be clearly distinguished between past and present, all depicted along the flow of the river.
Related to this work, an exhibition titled “By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.” is also being held from April 6th to April 14th, 2024. Tomohiro will be present during the exhibition, advancing with the photobook production on-site. We invite you to visit the exhibition.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
I have been living along the river for more than 30 years.
Suddenly, I came up with the idea. I walked from downstream to upstream of Arakawa Sumida Rivers where I now live.
There were more structures and no people than I expected. The area is quiet and serene. But there were signs of life. The scenery downstream was different from my childhood memories, and I was surprised to discover something unknown.
Although I have few memories of my childhood, I still vividly recall the memory of the river. Catching fish in the upper stream, often playing in the flume flowing from the river midstream while leaving school and so on.
I searched for old photos, tracing my fragmented memory, but I could not find any. My memory is vague as to whether or not I took photographs in the childhood. Now, more than 30 years after my childhood, I am living by the river with my own children.
Death is buried by the river. There would have been parents and children there. The structures along the river are serene, as if they were built as cenotaphs or tombstones to honour something. If cenotaphs, tombstones and photos are devices for remembering death, what is it that we are trying to remember?
Memories repeatedly appear in front of my eyes, as the signs left behind in the river overlap with the photographs. I am still searching for something I was separated from in my childhood.
Text: Tomohiro Sato
Title: “By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.” by Tomohiro Sato
Edition: Limited to 34 copies (signed)
Pages: 154 pages
Size: 265×190×154mm
Language: English
Price: ¥11,000 (including consumption tax, please check here for shipping fees)
Author/Editor/Printer/Bookbinding: Tomohiro Sato
Photographs by: Tomohiro Sato, Jo Sato, Kei Sato
Concept, Storyline, Art Direction: Yumi Goto (Reminders Photography Stronghold)
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If the paypal buttons do not work properly or for inquiries, please contact us at
photobook@reminders-project.org
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.
©︎Tomohiro Sato / By the river, I can’t hear the seagulls cry.