Rinko Kawauchi - Rinko Kawauchi 2 books set ①Illuminance: The Tenth Anniversary Edition ②Des oiseaux (On birds) - 2021

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①Illuminance
Ten years after its first edition in 2011, one of Kawauchi's most iconic works, "Illuminance," is reborn in a 10th-anniversary edition. As the name "Illuminance" suggests, this series explores the photographic essence of light. The world is permeated with light and darkness, life and death. These fragments, captured by Kawauchi Rinko, contain both beauty and sadness, transcending time and place and urging us to consider universality. Sublime yet subtle, they open a new window into the world we see. While faithfully recreating the layout of the first edition and following the original design, the book has been redesigned by Dutch art director Hans Gremen, allowing readers to fully experience Kawauchi's unique worldview. Photographer Alec Soth praised this work, saying, "This exquisitely crafted monograph will put Kawauchi Rinko on everyone's radar." Featuring a reprint of David Chandler's text and new essays by philosopher Masatake Shinohara and Aperture Creative Director Leslie A. Martin, this reissue offers new context and perspective to Kawauchi's work, allowing readers to rediscover her poetic and imaginative sensibility.

②Des oiseaux (On birds)
Rinko Kawauchi's latest book, part of her "Des oiseaux" series, captures birds from the perspectives of photographers around the world. In April 2020, Kawauchi began photographing a swallow's nest she found near her home and the nursery swarms she witnessed there. The nest was built on the eaves, the parent swallows soaring through the sky in search of food, the baby birds eagerly waiting for their parents to return, the budding plants, and the dazzling sunlight. Kawauchi's photographs, capturing the simple strength and continuity of life, seemingly observant of the circumstances, offer a moment of calm and courage amid the stressful days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when various restrictions are imposed. The book also includes a new essay by ornithologist Guilhem Lesaffre titled "A Few Grams of Elegance," making it a fascinating read on the swallow's ecosystem. Watching the parent swallows silently bringing food made me realize that simply feeding their young is a parent's role in itself, and it made me feel somehow encouraged, as if my gloomy feelings were being cleared away.