Expressing Nuances of Emotion | Capture your Emotion | ISSUE #9

Currently, cizucu is hosting the photo contest ‘Capture your Emotion: Emotions Reside in the Dew’ in collaboration with Zenkyoan, a Zen temple in Kyoto.

The works of the seven award recipients will be exhibited at Zenkyoan on July 22 (Sat) and 23 (Sun), 2023. On this occasion, we interviewed Chief Priest Masamune Uematsu about Zenkyoan and his own journey.

Temples are often associated with funerals and graves. However, since Zenkyoan has very few parishioners, we have always considered what we can do for those living in the present.

For about 20 years, Zenkyoan has been curating live events and art exhibitions. At that time, while it was common for temples to provide spaces, it was unusual for them to independently organize such events. We have curated live performances and co-hosted contemporary art group exhibitions with the publisher FOIL. Some said these activities were not the temple’s original purpose, but considering the temple’s centuries-long history, even the ‘Wind and Thunder Gods Folding Screen’—now a classic—was once cutting-edge contemporary art, housed at Kenninji. With this in mind, we have been reclaiming the temple’s original role as a space for exhibiting and preserving art.

Thus, exhibiting photographic works submitted online is, for us, a natural extension of the temple’s long-standing engagement with artistic expression.

I studied film in the Department of Visual Arts at Osaka University of Arts. My paternal family comes from a temple lineage, while my maternal side is from a family of film directors, so this path felt very natural to me. Later, I lived a dual life as a vice-priest and freelance filmmaker, producing TV commercials and corporate videos, and occasionally working as a VJ at clubs.

I also practiced photography in much the same way as film, which led to an invitation from Kyoto Seika University to teach a practical photography class. There, I introduced assignments themed around ‘inner emotions,’ which directly relates to the theme of this contest.

How does one take the first step from being a consumer to becoming a creator? In today’s world, everyone has a smartphone, so even if you can’t paint or compose music, you can still take photographs. With digital cameras, you can review your shots in real time and experiment endlessly. It was the perfect medium for expressing oneself while comparing one’s emotions to the resulting images. Some photos were blurry or didn’t fit conventional composition, but that was precisely what made them interesting.

Emotions cannot be fully expressed in words, nor are they always beautiful. As students became more comfortable expressing subtle nuances of emotion without embarrassment, their eyes and expressions began to change. Witnessing those moments was truly rewarding.

Around 2017, I launched a project called ‘The Beginning Picture Book.’

The concept is to invite 100 people with whom I have a connection each year to recommend two picture books: one that left a lasting impression in their childhood, and one they would like to share with someone important to them now. Each participant writes a message card explaining their choices, and both the cards and books are exhibited. This project continues to this day.

The very first person to witness the emotion captured in a photograph is the photographer themselves.

I hope that, through this contest, you will be excited to discover the range of emotions and feelings that reside within your own heart.

Zenkyoan has continually redefined itself as a platform for artistic expression, transcending the traditional image of a temple. For the cizucu-supported photo contest ‘Capture your Emotion,’ we look forward to submissions that freely interpret the theme ‘Expression of Emotion ~Your Seven Colors~.’

As a reward, selected works will be exhibited at Zenkyoan. We eagerly await your creative submissions.

【Contest Period】
May 10, 2023 (Wed) – June 10, 2023 (Sat)

【Exhibition Dates】
July 22, 2023 (Sat) – July 23, 2023 (Sun)

【How to Submit】

• Select the contest ‘Capture your Emotion’
• Tap ‘Agree to Terms and Submit’
• Select your content and submit your work