Kiyoshi Suzuki : Soul And Soul 1969-1999

Kiyoshi Suzuki's "Nagareru Uta" (Song of Flowing) is his first photobook and a代表作, published in 1972 in a limited edition of 1,500 copies. For a long time, it was known as a "phantom photobook." Ten years after his death, it was reissued, and its pioneering spirit and rich expressive world were widely re-evaluated.

For Suzuki, who was born and raised in a coal mining town in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, the starting point of this book was his own primal landscape. "Furusato no Tooihie" (Distant Days of Hometown), which captures the figures of coal miners, exudes an intimacy and nostalgia that transcends the boundaries of documentary photography. This is followed by "Natsu no Mannaka" (Middle of Summer) with people and landscapes from all over Japan, "Nagareru Tabi no Yakusha" (Traveling Actors on the Flow) with the lives of traveling theatrical troupes, and "Yoru ni" (At Night) which transitions to more private and introspective images. The entire book is structured in four parts.

The close distance to the subjects, the humid atmosphere, and the sentiment that somehow resonates with enka (Japanese ballad songs) evoke Suzuki's own words, "I was too honest with Japanese sensibility." Coal miners, factory workers, projectionists, professional wrestlers, traveling performers — the figures of people living in the shadow of rapid economic growth bear the strong imprint of the Showa era's warmth.

Furthermore, characteristic of Suzuki's deep commitment to printing and bookmaking, the book also expresses his attitude of viewing the photobook itself as a work of art.

[Title] Kiyoshi Suzuki Photo Book: Nagareru Uta Soul And Soul 1969-1999
[Publisher] Hakusuisha
[Publication Date] November 10, 2010
[Number of Pages] 81 pages
[Size] Approx. 230*209*13mm / 585g

[Format] Hardcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] NAGARERU UTA
[Author/Editor] Kiyoshi Suzuki/Author
[Printing] Dainippon Printing/Printing and Binding
[ISBN] 456008100X
[Condition] Used 【6】Good to Average (Slight age-related tanning on three sides)
[Accessories] 2 covers, separate booklet (Kotaro Iizawa)
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Kiyoshi Suzuki (1943–2000)

Born in 1943 in Yoshima Village (now Iwaki City), Fukushima Prefecture. Photographer.
After graduating from a part-time high school, he moved to Tokyo with aspirations of becoming a cartoonist, but was deeply moved by Ken Domon's "Chikuhō no Kodomotachi" (Children of Chikuho) and switched to photography. He studied at the Tokyo College of Photography and gained attention in 1969 by publishing "Series: Coal Mining Town," which depicted his hometown's coal mines, in "Camera Mainichi."

In 1972, he self-published his first photobook, "Nagareru Uta." Thereafter, he developed his unique activities, centering his expression on photobooks such as "Brahman no Hikari" (Light of Brahman), "Tenmaku no Machi" (City of Tents), "Yume no Hashiri" (Run of Dreams), "Tenchi Gijo" (Theater of Heaven and Earth), "Shura no Ken" (Realm of Shura), and "Duras no Ryodo" (Territory of Duras). He continued his creative work while making a living as a sign painter and is also known for personally handling the editing, design, and bookbinding for many of his collections.

Through his intimate proximity to subjects, humid emotions, and literary titles and compositions, he built a rich world that transcended the boundaries of documentary and snapshot photography. His gaze directed at people living in the shadow of rapid economic growth, such as coal mining towns, traveling performers, and urban wanderers, deeply imprinted the warmth of the Showa era.

He received the Photographic Society of Japan New Artist Award in 1983, the Nobuo Ina Award in 1992, and the Ken Domon Award in 1995. He passed away in 2000. After his death, his original photobook culture and expressive quality were re-evaluated both domestically and internationally, positioning him as an important artist in the history of Japanese photography.

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