Yes, The River Knows - Arakawa River / Wan Chaofan

This photo book is a collection of photographs taken over many years of the Arakawa River, the major river that flows through Tokyo where the artist lives, silently observing the city, the river, and the lives of the people. Wan views the Arakawa not merely as a landscape, but as a source of life, an entity that records time and memories. His gaze vividly brings to light the changing cityscapes and people's lives along the river, and the intricate relationship between nature and humans.

The book meticulously captures the 173km length of the Arakawa River, which originates in the Kobushigatake Peak of the Chichibu Mountains and flows into Tokyo Bay, covering a basin area of 2,940㎢, in a horizontal panoramic format (6×17 medium format camera).
It carefully depicts the multilayered aspects of the Arakawa, including concrete riverbanks and created forests, dismantling bridges, people enjoying kayaking and windsurfing, and river festivals.
The interaction between urban life and nature, the contrast between artificial structures and nature, and the lives and memories etched through the river are vividly presented through the photographs.

Wan meticulously traces the river's course from its source to the sea, documenting the time, space, and spirituality of the Arakawa, a typical Japanese river.
The river accepts and remembers all the flowing water, and reminds people of various things.
Wan's photographs, which capture this imagery, re-examine the relationship between the city and humans through the river, prompting deep visual contemplation.

This work received the 44th New Cosmos of Photography Excellence Award (2021) and the 24th Jun Miki Award (2023). It is an important book that examines the relationship between the city and human life, and nature and culture through the river.

● 44th New Cosmos of Photography Excellence Award (2021) / 24th Jun Miki Award (2024) Award-winning work

[Title] The River Knows Everything - Arakawa
[Publisher] STAIRS PRESS
[Publication Date]

November 2022
[Page Count] 48 pages
[Size] approx.

471*201*14mm /
[Format] Hardcover, accordion binding
[Language] Japanese, English, Chinese
[Title reading] KAWA WA SUBETE SHITTE IRU - ARAKAWA
[Author/Editor] Wan Chaofan / Author/Editor, Toshiharu Ito / Text,

Tang Yayi / Design
[Printing] Beijing, China
[ISBN]

9784908851087
[Condition] Used [4] Good to Fair (case tanned/damaged, slight corner bumps, slight signs of use)
[Accessories] Slipcase
[Featured in] -
[Related Exhibitions] 2022 Shinjuku Nikon Salon

Wan Chaofan (EN CHOUHAN) 1991-

Born in Gu'an County, Hebei Province, China in 1991
2016 4th KAWABA NEW-NATURE PHOTO AWARD, Kawaba Village Award
　　　 5th Canon Photographers Session, Canon Award
2021 Completed PhD program at Tokyo University of the Arts
2021 44th New Cosmos of Photography, Excellence Award
2023 24th Jun Miki Award

Personal website: http://www.wanchaofan.com
TPPG: https://tppg.jp/member/wan-chaofan/

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