Mankichi was a crowd favorite in the pool of submissions from our Issue No.12 call for entry! His unique way of seeing his surroundings is inspiring to us as photographers and as voyeurs. Keep making great images Mankichi! – Aint–Bad
Mankichi Shinshi is street and documentary photographer based in Japan (born in 1984). He started taking photographs in 2013 with self-taught style. And now, at various public places mainly in Asia, he is recording the appearance of people, things and spaces as they are. However, it’s not the purpose to reveal some objective facts or truth. It is a consideration of the way of confronting the scenes where anyone can see (general society), from his selfish eyes. And the collected scenes are also a part of his life. By thinking twice about them, he would like to compile the contact point between society and his life to be lovable.
Natural Nature
If it’s based on Darwin’s theory of evolution, we are on the extension of plants and animals, and human beings also can be defined as a part of “nature”. But almost people ignore the human existence, and praise only “nature full of green”. I think that they give an excessive guilt to the advancement of modern society. So, I started this project as an antithesis of such an “old nature” which is displayed on Google search. I intentionally collected the photographs that I felt “weirdness made by artifact” and “unnaturalness of human existence”. I want to affirm our ordinary days full of human egoism, as the appearance of “modern nature”.
To view more of Mankichi’s work please visit his website.