Yes, The River Knows - Arakawa River / Wan Chaofan

This photobook is a long-term photographic record of the Arakawa River, the major river that nourishes Tokyo, where the artist lives, quietly observing the city, the river, and the lives of its people. The artist perceives the Arakawa not merely as a landscape, but as a source of life and an entity that carves out time and memory. This perspective brings to life the changing urban landscapes along the river, people's lives, and the intricate relationship between nature and humanity.

The book precisely captures the 173km length and 2940㎢ basin area of the Arakawa River, from its source in Mt. Kobushi in the Chichibu Mountains to its mouth in Tokyo Bay, using a horizontal panoramic format (6x17 medium format camera). It meticulously portrays the multifaceted nature of the Arakawa, including concrete riverbanks, man-made forests, bridges being demolished, people enjoying kayaking and windsurfing, and river festivals. The interplay between urban life and nature, the contrast between artificial structures and nature, and the human activities and memories carved out through the river are vividly brought to life through the photographs.

The artist meticulously traces the river's course from its source to the sea, documenting the time, space, and spirituality of the Arakawa, a quintessential Japanese river. The river embraces and remembers all flowing water, evoking various thoughts and feelings in people. The artist's photographs, capturing this essence, re-examine the relationship between cities and humans through the medium of the river, prompting deep visual contemplation.

This work received the 44th New Cosmos of Photography Excellence Award (2021) and the 24th Jun Miki Award (2023). It is an important book that explores the relationship between cities and human activities, and nature and culture, through the medium of a river.

●44th New Cosmos of Photography Excellence Award (2021) / 24th Jun Miki Award (2024) Award-winning work

[Title] The River Knows All - Arakawa
[Publisher] STAIRS PRESS
[Publication Date] November 2022
[Pages] 48 pages
[Size] Approx. 471*201*14mm /
[Format] Hardcover, accordion binding
[Language] Japanese, English, Chinese
[Title Reading] KAWA HA SUBETE SHITTEIRU - ARAKAWA
[Author/Editor] Wan Chaofan / Author, Editor, Toshiharu Ito / Text, Tang Yayi / Design
[Printing] Beijing, China
[ISBN] 9784908851087
[Condition] Used [4] Good to Fair (case tanned/damaged, minor corner bumps, slight signs of use)
[Accessories] Slipcase
[Featured in] -
[Related Exhibition] 2022 Shinjuku Nikon Salon

WAN Chaofan 1991-

Born in Gu'an County, Hebei Province, China in 1991
2016 4th KAWABA NEW-NATURE PHOTO AWARD, Kawaba Village Award
　　　5th Canon Photographers Session, Canon Award
2021 Completed PhD program, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
2021 44th New Cosmos of Photography, Excellence Award
2023 24th Jun Miki Award

Personal Website: http://www.wanchaofan.com
TPPG: https://tppg.jp/member/wan-chaofan/

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