Saru

Delightful "photographic haikus", an ode to the mischievous saru (monkey in Japanese).

For several decades, Yamamoto Masao has been developing a body of work of great delicacy, imbued with infinite grace and poetry. Still too little known to the French public, he is nevertheless establishing himself as a major figure on the contemporary Japanese scene.
With Saru , a series he has been pursuing for over twenty years, Yamamoto explores his fascination with nature and our relationship to the living world. In Jigokudani Park, in the heart of Nagano Prefecture, he returns every winter to encounter the monkeys. In this snowy landscape, he observes the animals playing, showing affection, or taking refuge in hot springs, offering scenes of unsettling humanity.
Why are these monkeys so fascinating to him  ? "  Perhaps they are our true teachers, those who remind us of the profound essence of existence, which humanity tends to forget little by little: what it truly means to live  ," the photographer replies. According to Yamamoto, these monkeys immersed in the hot springs -  as if absorbed in deep meditation  - reflect the image of Amida Buddha. Like photographic haikus, his work captures a fragile world.