Fumi Akao

I started photographing the flowers on the trees because the dogwoods in my yard were so beautiful after the rain. The flowers, which were taller than I was, seemed so divine to me. As I continued to photograph them, I began to feel the other side of them and to receive something from that other side. There is something that transcends the superficial beauty of the flowers. It is hidden within, sacred, and essential. When we become aware of true beauty, the radiance of this inner essence is seen through the outer shell. Only when we are "present" does all things reveal their true nature.

This series is my "play" of colors and sounds, in which sounds are heard from paintings and photographs. The photo montage "Playing with colors and sounds" is a work that plays colors and sounds that people find pleasant.