Toward the Light Illuminated Beyond the Ripples | Photographer Koki Manju | ISSUE #24

‘ISSUE’ is a series that delves into the sensibilities and thought processes of creators from around the globe, serving as a catalyst for new inspiration. In ISSUE #24, we explore the story of photographer Koki Manju, who lives and works between two locations.

Born in Miyazaki, photographer Koki Manju has lived in various places including Chiba, Okinawa, and Kumamoto, and is currently based primarily in Okayama and Okinawa. While he works as a portrait photographer, he also dedicates himself to photographic works themed around light, daily life, and music. His distinctive worldview gently radiates outward, gradually captivating the hearts of those who encounter his work.

During his university years, Manju was deeply involved in track and field, living a life far removed from photography. His only connection to photography was the SLR camera his parents used to capture his running.

However, in his third year of university, an unexpected injury prevented him from running, which became the catalyst for his interest in cameras. “If not for that injury, I might still be a track athlete today,” Manju reflects. What began as a hobby gradually ignited his passion, and in his fourth year, he began his journey as a photographer through Lovegraph.

Although Manju had achieved success in athletics, he secretly wished to broaden his horizons beyond running. After leaving track and field, his interests expanded to travel, brewing coffee, selecting tableware, and many other aspects of daily life. Among these, his approach to photography was unique. When taking photographs, he felt he could be his true self. The moment he pressed the shutter, the images he envisioned took shape, and photography became a means of communicating with others. He recalls, “The camera became like the wind for me—I was captivated by its ability to capture people’s everyday lives, journeys, and lifestyles wherever I went.”

In May 2020, during his fourth year at university, Manju set his sights on becoming a professional photographer. However, the world was then facing the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, through a barista friend with whom he would later co-host the exhibition 'Hamon', he discovered the café belk in Kojima, Okayama. During the pandemic closure, belk hosted a special exhibition called 'belk Maboroshi', featuring performances and streaming by musician Hideyuki Hashimoto on a stage overlooking the Seto Inland Sea.

“It felt as if lightning had struck me,” Manju recalls. In the midst of global despair, this unprecedented experience introduced him to the gentle light of an artist, providing unforgettable inspiration even through a screen.

Drawn to the unforgettable, almost dreamlike light of that experience, Manju later visited Okayama, setting out on a path that would lead to his current creative practice. Eventually, he encountered the miracle of holding a photography exhibition at belk alongside a performance by Hideyuki Hashimoto.

In 2021, captivated by Hideyuki Hashimoto’s mesmerizing performance, Manju visited Okayama without any particular purpose. While watching the sunrise at Oji-ga-take in Kojima, he was called out by an acquaintance—the very barista friend who had introduced him to belk Maboroshi. This chance reunion felt fateful, and Manju soon decided to move to Okayama. In December of the same year, likening this encounter to ripples on water, he held the exhibition 'Hamon'. The exhibition took place at belk, the site of their meeting, and featured a special appearance by musician Hideyuki Hashimoto.

Like ripples spreading across the sea, the exhibition 'Hamon' brought new encounters to Manju. A director who happened to visit the exhibition remarked, “I’d like to see what lies beyond the ripples,” which led to the creation of the photobook 'Beyond the Ripples'. The photobook includes a live recording of Hashimoto’s performance from the exhibition, weaving together a miraculous narrative through sound and photography.

Currently, Manju’s creative practice centers on the photography unit with photographer Kento Hirasue and journeys with musician haruka nakamura. Through photography, he explores expressions themed around the richness of daily life and music. Although these activities may feel somewhat unreal, they possess a tangible presence and a dreamlike warmth, and Manju wishes to continue interacting with such worlds.

Recently, Manju and musician Saki Matsuo released the first single from their music and photography unit hinata, drawing attention. The piece is a piano composition inspired by photography, aiming for a unique expression that fuses music and photography. “I want to express the warm light of sunlight through music and photography,” he says.

This album is an experiment in expressing Manju’s photographic sensibility through music. “Music, though different from photography, has its own wavelength as a means of expressing emotion. That’s why it can convey feelings that photography alone cannot capture,” he reflects.

Manju’s gentle presence is conveyed through his warm photographs, illuminated by soft light. Experiencing his images and his cherished musical sensibility, one is compelled to ask what richness means to him.

Finally, when asked “What is richness?”, Manju responds, “I feel richness in understanding and loving both the light and shadow of things.” Through self-expression, he aims to give back to those around him and strives for a balanced life. “To express is to face oneself, and being able to communicate something to others through that expression is what richness means to me,” he says. His flexible approach shows his enjoyment in taking on various forms of expression beyond photography.

We eagerly await the next step Manju will take, and the beautiful light he will show us.