2004 Infinity Award: Young Photographer

Tomoko Sawada was born in Japan in 1977, where she still lives and works. Sawada's art is an exercise in self-exploration and transformation in the tradition of Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol, and Nikki S. Lee. Sawada dresses in the clothes of various Japanese stereotypes, including hipster and businesswoman, and then hires professional portrait photographers to take her picture. In other cases, Sawada poses in automated photo booths. For the series "ID-400," she appears in 400 distinct outfits, and for another entitled "Omiai," she dresses in 30 different guises as a commentary on the Japanese tradition of arranged marriage. Much of what distinguishes Sawada's work is her subtlety. Not only are her costumes impressively detailed, but she also performs, displaying appropriate and believable expressions and gestures. 

In 2003, Zabriskie Gallery in New York City presented a solo exhibition of her work. Her work has also appeared in exhibitions at The Japan Society, Sepia International, and the International Center of Photography.