Shimao Shinzo: Maho-chan

"Maho-chan" by Shinzo Shimao is a photobook meticulously capturing the daily lives of his family and friends, primarily focusing on his daughter, Maho Shimao, during her childhood. The subjects include Maho-chan herself, her mother Tokuko Ushioda, grandfather Toshio Shimao, grandmother Miho, aunt Maya, and neighborhood children – all the people surrounding the Shimao family. While it depicts the everyday life of a photographer's family, the scenes are incredibly open, evoking a nostalgic and intimate feeling for anyone.

A room in the wooden house in Gotokuji (the former Theodora Ozaki residence), a sunlit window, a cluttered room, playing with friends, an expression with cotton candy in hand, a haircut in the garden. In a life that could not be called abundant, children grow up freely, and adults quietly watch over them. There is a happiness in life itself that cannot be measured by material wealth.

Shinzo Shimao's photographs avoid excessive staging or sentimentality, calmly accepting the events before him. Through his gaze, ordinary daily life transforms into irreplaceable memories. It is precious not only as a family album but also for capturing the atmosphere of an era and life in a corner of Tokyo. The sight of a child growing up freely and the presence of the family surrounding them. "Maho-chan" is a book that captures the domestic scene that everyone secretly longs for.

[Title] Maho-chan
[Publisher] Osiris
[Publication Date] February 20, 2004 (2nd printing)
[Number of Pages] 96 pages
[Size] Approx. 204*147mm
[Format] Hardcover (unjacketed)
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] Maho-chan
[Author/Editor, etc.] Shinzo Shimao/Author, Yukimasa Okumura/Book Design
[Printing] Dainippon Printing/Printing and Binding
[ISBN]4990123921
[Condition] Used 【5】Good (Cover: slight scuffing)
[Accessories] Cover: Takashihonma seal attached
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Shinzo Shimao (Shimao, Shinzo) 1948-

Born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture in 1948. Photographer.
Born as the eldest son of writer Toshio Shimao and Miho, he spent his childhood on Amami Oshima.
In 1974, he graduated from the Department of Photography, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo Zokei University. Around 1975, he began working as a photographer, creating works primarily on daily life, family, and travel landscapes.

In 1978, he married photographer Tokuko Ushioda. In the same year, their eldest daughter Maho Shimao was born. Thereafter, he and Ushioda visited various parts of Asia including China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, collaborating on numerous works combining photographs and essays documenting the lives of ordinary people and the atmosphere of cities.

His representative works include "Maho-chan," which captures the daily life of his family, "Seikatsu" (Life), which focuses on his private life, and "Chugoku Seikatsu" (Chinese Life), which covers various regions of China. Moving between photography and essays, he consistently depicted the subtleties of people's lives with an unadorned gaze and humor.

In 1995, he held a solo exhibition "Seikatsu 1990-1995" at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. Since then, he has held numerous solo and group exhibitions both domestically and internationally. Known not only as a photographer but also as an excellent essayist, he is highly regarded for uniquely updating private photographic expression in Japan.

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