Returning Boundaries and Distance to Abstraction | Photographer zawa | ISSUE #18

‘ISSUE’ delves into the sensibilities and thought processes of creators worldwide, offering new sources of inspiration. In ‘ISSUE #18’, we explore the worldview of photographer zawa, who expresses the contradictions that exist between boundaries and distances defined by language and reality.

During high school, zawa spent a year studying abroad in Okinawa, which led him to pursue university studies in Japan. When did he first begin to feel discomfort with the sense of boundaries and distances created by language?

Before coming to Japan, he believed that the familiar landscapes of his native Taiwan were simply ordinary. However, after spending time in Japan and returning home, he found himself reaching for his camera more often, discovering new perspectives. “It was precisely because I was moving between Taiwan and Japan that I began to see from two different viewpoints. The process of continually rediscovering both Japan and Taiwan had a significant impact on the themes of my work,” he reflects.

One of his most formative experiences was questioning, “Where exactly is the border between Taiwan and Japan?”

“When I was studying in Okinawa, I felt that, although I was in Japan, my hometown Taiwan felt closer than Tokyo. On clear days, you can see Yonaguni Island from Taiwan’s east coast. It’s so close that, with enough effort, you might even cross to the island in a drum can. For me, Okinawa was a mysterious place—full of different cultures, yet also reminiscent of home,” zawa recalls.

However, people living in Okinawa are, of course, Japanese citizens by virtue of their passports, and Okinawa is part of Japan’s territory. It was then that he realized the concept of national borders is a human construct. At the same time, he discovered the possibility that the feelings people have about the boundaries and distances between places may not necessarily align with concepts defined by language. In reality, the boundaries we experience may be as innumerable as the thoughts and feelings of each individual.

Rather than boundaries demarcated by lines, these are boundaries defined by each individual. In order to experiment with expressing the return of concrete boundaries to abstraction, zawa held a photographic exhibition this year that explored the ambiguity of boundaries.

With the intention of re-examining boundaries and distance, zawa minimized captions in his exhibition. Since language is a tool for conveying clarity, limiting captions influences how viewers interpret the photographs. By exhibiting works from both Taiwan and Japan without explanatory text, visitors were able to engage with the photographs based solely on visual information, free from the boundaries of language.

“By observing how viewers responded to the presence or absence of words, it felt like a kind of empirical experiment in expression,” says zawa. The exhibition was also a valuable learning experience through dialogue with visitors.

“I believe that if you keep taking photographs, you will inevitably discover your own unique perspective,” says zawa. He recalls an episode when photographer Yozo Fujita, author of ‘Sekaiisan Hourouki’ and ‘Sekai’, reviewed his portfolio. “He advised me to incorporate more of the distance and relationship between myself and the subject into my photographs. Indeed, I realized I had been drawing a line between myself and my subjects, and now I want to blur that boundary,” zawa shares, expressing his aspirations for future work.

Finally, zawa notes that while globalization may seem to have enriched individuality, in reality, it has also led to an overflow of the mere image of individuality. He says he will continue to press the shutter until he truly finds his own perspective. As someone who lives within the ambiguity of boundaries, his evolving viewpoint is one to watch.