Mayumi Hosokura: Crystal Love Starlight

Mayumi HOSOKURA. Publisher: artbeat publishers. Female photographer Mayumi Hosokura is known for her works with delicate sensitivity for nature and unique description of beauty and intimacy of young people. We are proud to present her first solo book in Spring 2012. ― Statement from the publisher.

Japan –

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In her new series, ‘Crystal Love Starlight’, Hosokura’s unique style is combined with an experimental take on the imaginative nature of storytelling. The series is in monochrome; monochrome negatives are printed in a single colour on to colour photography paper. Although colour photography paper typically uses six colours (through photosensitive silver + colour coupler), only one colour will react and show in the print. The series attempts to create a link between the darkroom and the exhilarating feeling of walking along a neon-lit highway at night. The series will be published by Tycoon Books in a photo book in the same name.

The title of this book is taken from the shop ‘Crystal Love Starlight’, located in the Gunma Prefecture, where an incident involving prostitution took place in 1992. The title, which was mentioned in a corner article of a newspaper, is meant to indicate the charming meaninglessness of the flashy name – of those of the numerous snack bars, cabarets, love hotels throughout all of Japan. This series considers various aspects of urban life focusing on three motifs; a small documentary portraying the shop ‘Crystal Love Starlight’, hotels in Gunma and nudes taken in studios in Tokyo; and the neon sign of Highway 17 that connects Tokyo to Gunma.

Photography feature – Mayumi Hosokura‘s book ‘Crystal Love Starlight’ was recently curated by Emaho Founder, Manik Katyal as part of the small exhibition of photo books from Asia for the The PhotoBookMuseum, Germany.