Black overripe bananas, a dried-out pumpkin, and a cucumber with brown stains—all these fruits are surrounded by beautiful flowers before a fancy-coloured backdrop. What is the Japanese photographer, Shinya Masuda, telling us with his weird, enigmatic images? “All things must pass” is a phrase he learned from his grandmother as a child, triggering him to make images of rotten food. “I feel making these still lives is something I should pursue for the rest of my life. I am never tired of a realm that is simultaneously the visible material world and the invisible spiritual world.”

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The images of rotten food might seem somewhat cynical to the spectator, but they appear to have a deep emotional meaning. The title of his series Hanafuda Shouzoku combines two words: an ancient Japanese card game and an old costume. The Japanese play cards, Hanafuda—or flower cards—depict flowers and plants of specific months and seasons. “The title is inspired by my grandmother, who taught me how to play games, and my mother, who used to send me food, which two I combined. I created this work inspired by the words of my grandmother, who taught me "SHOGYOMUJOU," meaning everything will someday lose its form.”

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Life loses form

We see flowers, leaves, and fruits in a state of decay, symbolising the passing of time; this refers to a sense of impermanence, which is embedded deeply in Japanese culture. All life with a form will finally disintegrate and disappear, except for the spirit, which is formless and believed to remain forever. “My feelings about food rotting over time, and my feelings about my mother for sending me food, grow as a human being. They are lumped together through the words of my grandmother. There is certainly something there that disappears materially and something there that does not disappear spiritually.”

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There is certainly something there that disappears materially and something there that does not disappear spiritually.

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The notion of decay was amplified by a daily experience. One day, Shinya unintentionally left a box of fruits and vegetables unopened that his mother had sent from his hometown. “When I discovered it and opened the box after several days, I stared at the veggies in the box that was now their coffin. The sight not only pained me, but it also reminded me of my late grandmother’s pet phrase, “all things must pass.” Once their time in this world has passed, all life loses form. That’s only natural. While recognising that providence, I also yearned to capture the remnants of love my mother must have sent along with those items. The veggies’ value as foodstuffs may be lost, but a piece of my mother’s heart must linger still. Before even that vanished, I wanted to embalm those rotten foods for a proper send-off.” 

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Ideas and concepts

Ideas to make his photographs aren't a result of deep pondering and conceptual thinking, even though it might seem so. “Ideas appear and spring up suddenly in my life. I can't control that very well. That is why I keep notes everywhere, so I don't forget to capture the ideas that come to me from nowhere. But that doesn't mean they are trivial ideas when I think about them consciously. When I am in a half-unconscious state, ideas appear and disappear quickly. It is essential not to try to force myself to attract them.” 
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When I am in a half-unconscious state, ideas appear and disappear quickly.

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Initially, Shinya Masuda tried to start with various sophisticated concepts, but it didn't work for him. “An essential part of me wants to do this work. It hides in regular habits that you develop over the years. It takes many years to uncover yourself. My conclusion is to keep doing one concept for a lifetime. I keep working on that habitual thing. If it doesn't last, then it's probably not an essential concept. What I do is something that I can't stop doing or keep doing for a long time without getting bored with it. I do this because my work is my alter ego and speaks for me.”

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Illusory effect 

The photo works of Shinya Masuda have an illusory effect. It also looks two-dimensional and three-dimensional. The objects seem to hover weightlessly in the air, and the shadows in the background are overly incorrect. The surreal style is influenced strongly by Japanese painting. “Japanese painting comprises outlines and looks very two-dimensional and flat. On the other hand, it also incorporates the influence of Western painting. The depth and dimension are created by light, shadow, and rich colours. I believe the illusory effect is created by the fusion of these two opposing elements. He also incorporates multiple viewpoints in a single painting, influenced by Western painting. My work is characterised as a hybrid composed around the emotionality of a notable aspect of Japanese painting.”

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Japanese paintings were a vital part of Masuda's upbringing, mainly influenced by his grandmother. “The paintings of flowers, birds, winds, the moon, and still-life paintings on large folding screens were always close to me. After becoming an art school student, I saw Western still-life paintings in museums and other places and was struck by the rich light and shadow that Japanese paintings do not have. I was also amazed at the deep meanings of each item and the devices used to create them. Some things cannot be seen without unravelling the biblical context and the weight of the meaning of the work, and the way of thinking about layers was beneficial.”

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Cuisine chef

Shinya Masuda was a French cuisine chef in his former life and became a photographer by chance. Once, a culinary magazine interviewed him, and he saw that photography was a valuable means of communication. He closed the restaurant and started as a culinary photographer. “I was shooting freely, letting my sensibilities take over. Being a cook, I was an amateur in photography. With a renewed determination, I enrolled in school to learn the basics of design communication and fine arts even though during my advanced age, I wanted to learn from the ground up. After graduation, I worked as a full-fledged commercial photographer for a design production company.” 

Masuda discovered new ideas weren't easily welcomed in the world of commerce. “In those days, people in the field liked to be reassured. Yes, I wanted to create something to stimulate and give pleasure to the senses, so I strengthened myself by studying in the studio of a photographer who is considered a master. The past year and a half have been an intense time of great pain and many rewards.” 

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Shinya Masuda was born 1965 in Nagoya City, Japan. He currently lives in Tokyo. He is a French cuisine chef turned photographer. After graduating from Nagano Art and Design School, majoring in Visual Communication Design, Masuda worked as a commercial photographer at the photography department of a design production company. He then met Mr. Hashi, a still life photographer in New York, and studied under him for a year and half at Hashi Studio Tokyo. Masuda now works as an artist. The elegant beauty of form and freewheeling ideas in Masuda’s work is highly praisedand acclaimed in many countries such as Great Britain, France, US, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, and Israel. He is working actively and having solo exhibitions mainly in the US.

www.shinyamasuda.com