1999.15th（pdf）

The 15th Annual Higashikawa Prize
Osamu HIRAKI
Higashikawa Prize Jury Member
This year marks the 15th year since 1985 in which the Higashikawa Prize was first awarded. The meeting to decide
this year's prize winners was held as scheduled in Tokyo in early spring. All members of the Judging Committee
gathered and smoothly selected the prize winners, as shown on a separate sheet, out of the photographers that
were nominated by the Japanese photographic industry. The following explains the details of the screening
procedure and the summarized opinions of the Judging Committee members. The Overseas Photographer Prize is
awarded to Claudio EDINGER, a photographer from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Judging Committee decided to choose
this year's candidates for the Overseas Photographer Prize from South America. One member, Osamu HIRAKI
visited Sao Paulo late in February to collect information on the neighboring countries and to investigate the
movements and the trends of the modern photographic world in South America. The committee carefully examined
approximately 30 pieces of material that Hiraki had brought back to Japan, and then decided this year's prize
winner. Mr. Edinger is a promising photographer in the Brazilian photographic world and is also well known in North
America and Europe. This year, the prize is presented to him for his collection of monochrome photographs based
on the famous Brazilian carnivals. The photographs in this collection depict the inside and the outside of the native,
traditional events in a light, serious, passionate, but somewhat cool style. The collection was well received by the
Judging Committee members who liked his photographs that show us true Brazilian carnivals, which are different in
nature from the carnivals that Japanese people know in fragments. The committee members also gave attention to
Mario Cravo Neto, a photographer active in representing traces of culture that originated in Africa and still exist in
the Amazon basin, as well as to Miguel Rio Branco who dramatically represents passionate Brazilian temperament in
his photographs. In the end, the lucidity of Edinger's work was the determining factor that persuaded all the
members to award him the prize. The winner of this year's Domestic Photographer Prize is Miyako ISHIUCHI. She
made her debut as a photographer when she held an exhibition titled "YOKOSUKA STORY" in 1977 at Nikon Salon
in Ginza, Tokyo. Since she was awarded the fourth Ihei Kimura Prize in 1979 for her work titled "APARTMENT", she
has been taking photographs at her own steady pace, with a consistent theme of history and memories of her life.
Recently, Ms. Ishiuchi became interested in the history that is engraved on the body of each individual person. In
her latest exhibited work titled "SCARS", she takes notice of external scars, and this work provides us with an
opportunity to philosophize. Her reflective and positive attitude as a photographer was appreciated by the
committee members and separated her from other candidates in deciding the prize winner. Although the
characteristics peculiar to her work were debated in the process of making the decision, the purity of the
represented concept was the decisive factor in awarding her the prize. Opinions were divided on the winner of the
New Photographer Prize. Finally, the committee members agreed to award the prize to Miwa YANAGI, who has been
active in the field of contemporary fine art rather than that of photography and has developed unique installations
using photographs. She has presented prominently creative installations in her effort to draw nearer to the core of
the reality, while developing a virtual dimension on the border between that reality and ideas. She is an
up-and-coming artist who is attracting a great deal of attention both at home and abroad. The committee members
argued about the appropriateness of giving the prize to an artist working in the field of plastic arts rather than in
the field of photography. However, they reached a unanimous opinion that awarding an artist who makes full use of
the potential of the medium of photography is not a problem at all, but is meaningful in demonstrating the
positiveness and the initiative inherent to this prize. Thus, they decided on Miwa Yanagi.
The 15th Annual Higashikawa Prize
The Special Prize for a photographer who is noted in connection with Hokkaido is awarded to Kunihiko TAKADA.
He was born in Abashiri, Hokkaido. After living and taking photographs in the U. S. and Northern Europe, he has
been engrossed in photography as fine art back in his hometown. He acquired the basics of minute monochrome
photography at San Francisco State University, and then studied at Helsinki University of Industrial Arts in Finland.
There, he learned photography and took his first step as a professional photographer. His fine, delicate sensibility
directed at the cold and snow was suitable for exquisitely depicting the climate and the natural features of
Scandinavia. Now his photographic works, which are based on the motif of the severe winters in his hometown, are
more polished in skill and in representation. He has been steadily working as an unparalleled, unique photographer
dealing with cold natural features. Mr. Takada is a valuable photographer of straight photos in Hokkaido, being
consistent in presenting high-definition prints and photographic works. It is anticipated that his photographs taken
in Abashiri will attract the world's attention in the future, and in this sense this photographer is cut out for the
Special Prize. It is the great pleasure for all members of the Judging Committee to award the Higashikawa Prize to
the four honorable photographers this year.
The Overseas Photographer Award
Claudio EDINGER
1952 born in Sao Paulo ◆For his photography collection "CALNAVAL"
The Domestic Photographer Award
ISHIUCHI Miyako
1947
Born in Gunma,grown up in Yokosuka
1970
Leaves Tama Art University;weaving major
◆For her work as a photographer, including a series of
photography collections and exhibitions from
"1・9・4・7" to "SCARS"
The New Photographer Award
YANAGI Miwa
1967
Born in Kobe City.
1991
Completed the postgraduated course of Kyoto University of Fine Art.
◆For her work as a photographic artist
The Special Award
TAKADA Kunihiko
Born in Abashiri, Hokkaido, 1953.
Graduated from photography department, San Francisco State University, 1978.
First trip to Finland, 1984.
Graduated from Helsinki University of Industrial Arts, 1992(M.F.A.).
Lives in Abashiri, Hokkaido.
◆For his exhibitions "Crystals - Snow" and "Snow Cave"