JUNPEI UEDA’S PHOTO EXHIBITION “PICTURE OF MY LIFE” OPENS NOV. 3RD UNTIL 27TH.

RPS is celebrating its 4th year this coming November 2016. This year’s memorial exhibition we are organizing Junpei Ueda’s solo exhibition “Picture of My Life” Ueda participated 2015 Photobook As Object workshop and have been working his photobook project ever since. It’s finally completed and launched at his show. All cordially invited. 21 editions of his handmade photobook has been all pre-ordered but come check out the book in person. It’ll be presented with the print exhibiiton.
There will be an artist talk and more on the opening day on November 3rd, 4pm onwards.

“Picture of My Life” Statement

I have this desire in me, to sum up my own life in the form of a story.

My parents killed themselves, one after the other, in the winter of 1998.
My mother’s depression led her to take her own life, and my father followed her shortly after, only nine days later. Having suddenly a closer relationship with death at just 21 years of age, I decided to write down the things I saw around me, as they were, and to capture in photographs the emotions that I would only be able to feel there and then.

I was now alone in the house we had all lived in as a family. I had almost completely lost sight of the point in living. But, even so, I kept on living. Though my parents weren’t there, I had the many paintings that my father left me, and the family pictures that my mother loved taking. They spoke to and consoled me.

Happiness, is “living alongside the people you love”.

Surrounded and engulfed in the love of my parents, I was taught the meaning of happiness.
Now, after being blessed with a new family and a child of my own, I am surprised to find myself having conversations with my parents, who still live on inside of me.
The look that I give my child overlaps with the look that my parents once wrapped me in.
It is then that I sense that my parents are still here with me and I get a feeling of happiness, like I am being watched over.
If you are able share your love for someone, perhaps you never really die.
In order to continue living with the people I love, I want to share with my family what I have learned from my parents. And I would like to share it with all of you, in the form of a book.

Date: November 3rd to 27th open everyday 1pm to 7pm. Free to enter
Opening day, November 3rd, we only open from 4pm on this day.
Venue: Reminders Photography Stronghold gallery.
2-38-5 Higashimukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 131-0032
Contact: stronghold@reminders-project.org