Rafu.

Photographs by Michael Kenna.

Nazraeli Press, Paso Robles, CA, USA, 2019. English, 64 pp., 41 duotone plates, 8x12".

The first printing is limited to 1,000 copies.

Nazraeli Press is pleased to announce the publication of Kenna’s Japanese nude studies, entitled Rafu. Beautifully printed on uncoated Japanese art paper, and hand-bound in deep purple silk, this gorgeous artist’s book presents 42 images from the Rafu series.

For over thirty years, Michael Kenna has photographed temples, shrines, gardens, seascapes and landscapes, in black and white, throughout Japan. Ten years ago, he also began to photograph female nudes in various locations in Japan. A selection of these photographs were unveiled to the public for the first time at Paris Photo in November 2018.

The Japanese women who modeled were actresses, dancers, office workers, photographers and yoga practitioners. “Their willingness to express themselves in front of the camera and their trust in my integrity as a photographer, enabled us to engage in creative visual explorations and conversations”, says Kenna. “The human body is an absolutely amazing, mysterious miracle in a myriad of ways”, adds the British photographer. “I view both historical and contemporary creative representations of the nude as open invitations to explore this esthetic challenge. My efforts may add little or nothing to the enormous existing mountain of artistic treasures, but that is not important. This is another chapter in an ongoing story”.

Rafu was published to coincide with a major retrospective exhibition of Michael Kenna’s photographic work at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photographic Art.

Reviewed by Collier Brown on photo-eye Blog.

ABOUT THE LIMITED EDITIONS

Signed, Numbered, and Slipcased Special Edition — LTD-A — $150

A special edition of 160 copies* featuring a numbered and signed copy of the book presented in a custom greyboard slipcase.

*During signing, Kenna inadvertently numbered the books as if there were 100 copies rather than 150. Since the publisher had no spare copies, the edition size was increased to 160 and Kenna neatly corrected the numbering.

LTD-A

Deluxe Edition with Gelatin Silver Print — LTD-B — $1,800

A special edition of 25 copies featuring an original gelatin silver photograph made by the artist, numbered and signed, and presented with a signed copy of the book in a custom clamshell box. The original photograph measures approximately 8 x 11.5 inches, with an image size of 7.5 x 7.5 inches.

LTD-B

Cat# TR484L Limited Edition [B] $1800.00 (978-1-59005-498-7)
In Stock! Usually ships in 1 business day.

Cat# TR484H Hardbound $75.00 (978-1-59005-498-7)
Backorder this item. Domestic titles usually ship in 2-3 weeks; Foreign: 4-8 weeks.

Cat# TR484L Limited Edition [A]
Sold Out, No Longer Available

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