ln the “Japan Diaries“, our focus is on ambiguity and eroticism in Japanese culture, as weil as capturing moments of quiet unease and melancholy. lt was spellbinding to immerse ourselves in this extraordinary culture that has only been open to the rest of the world since the 1850’s. The many underlying tones and sub cultures made us feellike we were in a floating world of emotional. psychological. and physical potential, which we tried to capture in our pictures. We were inspired by Japanese cinema and photography, Akira Kurosawa, Araki and Daido Moriyamma, as weil as Edo woodblock prints and the erotic imagery of Ero Guro paintings.
BJ and Richeille Formento
“As outside observers, the Formentos’ stylized images explore the dichotomies that embody modern Japan- blurring the aesthetics between tradition and the ultra modern, fantasy and reality. The captivating tableaus exude a sense of tension, melancholy, and a quiet unease. Each image from Japan Diaries exists as if it were a still taken from a Japanese film noir, each solitary figure yearning for something unknown.” – David Fahey
