Tasakhi Homma “17” – A visual conversation about contrast

“17” is more than a collection of images; it is an exploration of how two different cultural and creative perspectives can converge to create something that transcends individual expression. Homma’s approach has always been deeply rooted in the everyday, where the beauty lies in the mundane and the overlooked and heritage, his cultural and visual connection to Tokyo. “I have both love and hate for Tokyo,” admits Takashi Homma. This ambivalence is something one can eventually feel about the places or people close to them. An inner reflection, the two angels on your shoulders that clash between your deeds and being.

Homma’s latest photo essay “17” finds muse in the new-gen artist Raiki Yamamoto and handles subjects of maturity, Tokyo’s suburban youth and treats them with a typical softness and sensitivity, using the contours of the region’s landscapes to map the ambiguities of teenage development into adulthood. Finding stories and narrating them in his unique editorial approach is the hallmark of Homma’s work; Yamamoto, on the other hand, is known for pushing the boundaries of contemporary art, challenging perceptions, and provoking thought. The meeting of these two minds in “17” is an exploration of balance—where their differing views do not clash, but rather, create a new, shared space. 

The book is not just a visual dialogue but a thoughtful conversation between two distinct creative minds -which we love. it is an exploration of how two different cultural and creative perspectives can converge to create something that transcends individual expression. Homma’s approach has always been deeply rooted in the everyday, “17” continues on that same approach. Homma develops a visual vocabulary to explore the transitional nature of Yamamota’s age; the images capture the waning of childhood. Instances of the young Yamamoto sitting in the make-up chair, curling her lashes and smudging on shadow are presented alongside images of her becoming a woman with professional development. Elsewhere, she lounges at home with a characteristically restless teenage ennui, waiting for the perceived excitement of adulthood to arrive- showcasing the subtle reality and contrast between both of her worlds.

Homma also takes “what maturing is” in hand and expresses his opinion as it being a progress. The book illustrates the differences between the generations and at the same time reveals what will not change. Change will not change, so he embraces it. Homma uses analogue methods, such as the camera obscura, and digital technologies in a comprehensive approach to his subjects and techniques. Photography for him is defined as something external not something that belongs to an artist. “It’s about images that anonymous viewers can freely interpret in their own way.” he adds.

“17” is a testament to the power of collaboration, showing that when two distinct creative forces come together with openness and curiosity, the result is not a compromise, but an expansion of what is possible. In a world where the lines between cultures are increasingly blurred, Homma and Yamamoto remind us that the space between those lines is where new visions are born.