For four years, photographer Hayahisa Tomiyasu spent each day staring out his window patiently observing the goings on of a courtyard adjacent to his bedroom. Over the days, months and years it transpired that residents and passersby seemed to naturally gravitate towards one particular ping pong table in the middle of the courtyard, opposite his Leipzig apartment. Hayahisa began to take shots of these leisurely happenings, but the photographer wasn’t actually looking to create a series observing everyday life – he was waiting to see a fox.
On the process of this photography project over four years, Hayahisa explains it pretty much took over his life. “I had tried at that time to be in my room as much as possible. So, sometimes I had to cancel my appointments whenever someone appeared to be there. Also at Christmas and New Year, I stayed in my room, not to pass any moments at the table.” In terms of actually taking the photographs, Hayahisa often changed his position, moving from left to right depending “on the people at the table”. No matter the time of day or weather, the photographer “tried to be there always” and, it seems, something was always happening.
A project of social commentary, as well as a slight photographic and observational obsession, not to mention a meditation on foxes’ behavioural habits, the repetitive nature of Hayahisa’s series went on to pique the interest of publishers Mack Books and was the first publication to win its book award last year.
Read the full news here.
Read about the project on the website of Hayahisa Tomiyasu here.
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