Silva Bingaz 

As a photographer I try to build the same cocoon wherever I go in the world. Even though I try to create similar conditions in every location to take photos wherever I photograph, my work is heavily influenced by the specificity of the place and the time period. Due to this transformation, my work takes on the characteristics of the city as well. Every city has its own mysterious and original spirit when you try to dig up a little to see the things under the surface, and this originality causes small changes in my work while building my cocoon. 

When I try to see what is going on under the surface, ironically I feel myself touching the existential forms of the human beings that are very similar in their basics. In every touch I see similarities of the people in the world clearly. It is very easy to talk about the visual, formal, or auditory differences, however these are the differences depending on the logical perception and are very formal. I would like to mention the sensuous and intuitive differences, since according to me, I find it a very crude documentation to create a visuality depending on the mental perception without touching the essence of the place. What are these sensuous and intuitive differences then? From my point of view, when trying to reach those similarities, the very basics and the instinctive existence among people in the world, a photographer feels the spirit of the city with the intuitive circumstances. 

For me, the most distinctive difference under the surface of Tottori while seeking its own secret essence is finding a very faithful environment while making subjective steps. This is a very ideal situation for a photographer to create one’s own cocoon. I hope you can see this in my photographs. 

I had many good friends in Tottori that I connected with profoundly despite the short time we shared together. They are the reflections of the people in Tottori at the local level, and the reflection of the humanity at a global level. I would like to thank Key, Nakashima family, Mikio, Eko and Mine, Osamura family, Suga, Gak, Mika, Kaziki, Naziki, Tsukuru and little Sola, Naoya and Satoko who appeared in my photographs and helped me to create this work.

Photostory Japan Works