Chino Otsuka

How would you describe your work?

I left Japan at the age of 10 to be educated in Britain and lived here ever since. My photographic works come directly from this multicultural experiences and the core of my photographic work is based on the theme of identity and belongings. Many of my works are autobiographical and I often chose the self portrait as a way of exploring my cultural identity- a double identity of Japanese origin and continued influence, yet one also firmly rooted in western culture.

What was your first photo?

My first photo must be a family snapshot taken on the holiday somewhere....but I really don't remember. What I do remember is the very first photo that struck and moved me as a child (I must have been 11 or 12). It was a last colour photograph taken by Robert Capa in Indochina (1954).

What inspires your work?

Books and films are usually the source of my inspirations.Then again, walking down the streets, eavesdropping other people's conversation on the tube and buses, talking to my family and friends are my everyday inspirations.

What / who are your main influences?

It's very difficult to narrow it down to few people or things. Usually influences are combination and mixture of many things for me. However, these are people I have constantly referred to and their works must have had some influences in my photographs, one way or the other, over the years;

Haruki Murakami (novelist)
Wong Kar-Wai's films (the Hong Kong director)
Amy Tan (novelist)
William Egglestone (photographer)

What motivated you to get into photography in the first place?

I was given my first camera when I was 13 from my parents and that's how I got interested in photography. But it was really until 18 or 19 that I wanted to take photography seriously. It was a discovery to find that the photography could give me a new form of expression.

How did you get into this type of work?

The exploration of memory/place in my work stems from my personal experiences and it's something that has developed over the years (with trial and error). I tried numerous ways and approaches to express and address these issues.

At the moment, I take more direct approach in taking photographs and concentrate on the narrative aspect of photography but while I was studying at Royal College of Art, I was very much interested in the experimental and unconventional ways of using photography. I used to literally deep fry the photograph (the slide films) in hot vegetable oil !!!

How do you see your work progressing?

I will continue as long as I can and see what happens!