Takahiro Mizushima / Long Hug Town

"Long Hug Town" is a photo book set in Ota Ward, Tokyo, where Takahiro Mizushima was born and raised, capturing the warmth and raw energy of the people he meets on the streets. His childhood experiences of running away from home and memories of wandering the streets overlap with the work, and the photographer's own life and the atmosphere of the city intersect in this dense series of snapshots.

Mizushima is a photographer who speaks to people, builds relationships, and treasures the "sense of connection" that arises in those moments. He meets people of all ages and genders. Late-night street corners, passing conversations, memories of "long hugs" exchanged on the street... All of this is woven into a fictional utopia known as "Long Hug Town."

This book compiles the works that won the Grand Prix at the 2017 Young Art Taipei Photo Eye competition. It traces the series' trajectory over a period of roughly 10 years, and also includes photographs taken in Taiwan, where the artist recently relocated. In stark contrast to the increasingly efficient urban landscape undergoing redevelopment, the scent, humidity, and body heat of people are still present here.

Photographing the city as if embracing the people—
"Long Hug Town" is a record of the "place" that Mizushima has created in his photographs, and also a quiet and heartfelt love letter to the people who live in the corners of the city.

[Title] Long Hug Town
[Publisher] STAIRS PRESS
[Publication date] April 2018
[Number of pages] 176 pages
[Size] Approx. 12.8 x 18.2 x 1.8 cm
[Format] Softcover
[Title Reading] Long Hug Town
[Authors/Editors] Takahiro Mizushima/Author, Tono Chaobon/Editor, Luo Lingning/Design
[printing]
[ISBN] 978-4-908851-03-2 C0072
[Condition] Brand new
[Accessories] None
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Takahiro Mizushima (1988-)

Born in Tokyo in 1988.

After graduating from Tokyo Visual Arts in 2009, he has been creating photographic works with a focus on cities and the people who live there. In 2014, he was selected as a finalist for the 10th "Photo 1_WALL" competition. In 2017, he won the Grand Prize at the portfolio review "Young Art Taipei Photo Eye" (Photo One) held in Taipei.

In 2018, he participated in the 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT "Photo City - William Klein and Photographers Living in the 22nd Century" exhibition. Since then, he has continued to take part in exhibitions both in Japan and abroad, including the Lianzhou International Photography Year Exhibition (2019, Lianzhou, China) and THE TEXTURE OF PROMISES (2022, San Sebastian, Spain).

He currently lives and works in Tokyo and Taipei, and is represented by the independent gallery TOTEM POLE PHOTO GALLERY (Tokyo), where he is expanding his opportunities to independently exhibit his work.

mizushima-takahiro.com

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