Kenro Izu: Soul Places

A cornucopia of otherworldly platinum prints of holy sites across the globe

Over the course of the past 50 years, Japanese photographer Kenro Izu (born 1949) has won recognition as one of the greatest living platinum printers, a steadfast producer of high-caliber, sophisticated images. To attain this effect, Izu employs a custom-made, 14-by-20-inch Deardorff camera that allows for a vast range of black-and-white tones. The subject matter Izu photographs--still lifes, nudes and sacred places across the globe--further attests to his flair for resplendence.
Soul Places gathers 60 photographs from Izu's pilgrimages to religious monuments across Syria, Jordan, England, Chile, Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia, Vietnam and India. Studying each site and its worshippers, Izu sought to access a state of harmony with his surroundings, practicing meditation and contemplation throughout his photography sessions. Suffused with fey lighting, Izu's photographs truly encapsulate the aura of the sacred spaces. As the artist remarks, "The 'sacredness' of a sacred place is within the geographic atmosphere and not limited to the architectural objects."