Yasutaka Seki

(Japan)

Yasutaka Seki is a Japan-based photographer whose work explores relationships between people and the land, recovery from disasters, and views on life and death. Following the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, he returned to his hometown and created a long-term project, Ashita Mu ni Kaeru, reflecting on loss, renewal, and the bond between people and place. His recent work traces the history of relatives who migrated to Bolivia and investigates how identity is reconstructed across generations. Through photographic expression, he continues to question where we may belong amid constant change.

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Destination

Seventy years ago, my relatives migrated from Japan to Bolivia. Today, four generations later, languages, customs, and senses of belonging have shifted within blended cultural surroundings. “Destination” seeks to understand how identity transforms through generations, and how individuals reconstruct “self” far from ancestral roots. Instead of simply documenting migration history, the project listens to personal narratives and reflects on the layered meaning of belonging. Through photography, I aim to connect their memories with broader questions about origin, identity, and the evolving forms of culture.

From the Judge

Brendan Embser

“Yasutaka Seki’s “Destination” is a captivating project about the connections between Japan and Bolivia from the 1950s to today. Seki’s considers how his family has experienced life as migrants to Bolivia following World War II, and the ways that identity both shifts and endures across generations. Making landscapes and portraits, and integrating archival documents and images, Seki seeks to tell a story that will resonate around the world.”