In the late 1990s, Tomoko Sawada attracted wide attention for her "ID 400" series of photobooth self-portraits, begun while she was still in art school. Since that time, she has become one of Japan's most frequently exhibited artists, and has continued to use herself as her sole photographic model. Sawada's recent series "School Days" mimics the familiar format of the Japanese class portrait, which is taken twice a year, at the time of the summer and winter change of school uniforms. The uniforms worn by students create an overall air of anonymity, and Sawada underscores this sense of sameness by playing the role of every sitter. Using countless minute variations of hairstyle, posture, and facial expression, she creates an array of sharply etched characters. Examined closely, each one quietly but firmly pushes the available options for self-expression to the limit.

Omiai

Masquerade

School Days

Exhibition Catalogue