"As a photographer, one might, if very fortunate, be commissioned to photograph in a location that would otherwise be difficult to access. Such was the case in 2006 when Traveler Magazine kindly asked me to spend a week on Mt. Koya, (aka Koya San), the Honshu mountain top headquarters of the Shingon Buddhist sect. I stayed in a different residential temple every night, sleeping on tatami floors and dining on vegetables, roots and nuts. I photographed monks and pilgrims, inside and outside of temples, sand gardens, stone lanterns, tombstones in the ancient Okunoin graveyard, and the surrounding landscape. I experienced exquisite Buddhist rituals and services. The whole experience was thrilling and life changing.
This photograph of a Lotus Pond next to the Henjouson Temple was made one very early, pre-dawn morning. The light was soft and quiet, as if the day was just waking up from a deep sleep. The exposure was perhaps twenty minutes, so the water becomes a sort of mist, swirling around the one central point where water sprays into the air. I remember birds singing and monks chanting. Occasional figures walked by, across the bridge, but the long exposure ensured they dissolved and become invisible."
~ Michael Kenna
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What an extraordinary experience that must have been! The opportunity to explore and photograph a place as spiritually and visually rich as Mt. Koya is a dream come true. It is very much a world far removed from the everyday hustle. The image is a blend of natural beauty and profound human spirituality, and it surely deepens one's appreciation for the power of photography.
If you connect with Michael's work, I highly suggest visiting the gallery to see Michael's beautiful new exhibition. Presented by Nikkei, the Financial Times and Peter Fetterman Gallery, ‘Japan / A Love story features highlights from Michael Kenna’s work in Japan over almost four decades.
The exhibition runs in Santa Monica from May 11 to July 20. Stay tuned London for the next leg of the exhibition this Fall 2024!
For any questions or inquiries, please email peter@peterfetterman.com
