Yuichi Nishihata’s Sensual Photos of Fruit

Since majoring in food science at the University of Tokyo in 2009, Yuichi Nishihata developed a strong interest in food. While working as a chef after university, Nishihata noticed how much food was being thrown away at the end of his shift and thought deeply about food consumption and how he could show this as a visual statement. His images from the series entitled ‘Food as Object’ are based on this – the juxtaposition between natural food stuffs and what Nishihata calls the “super quick mass consumption age”. All his work is based on the coexistence and relationship between nature and human beings.

Through this series ‘Food as Object’, Nishihata photographed fruit and vegetables to make them look almost like creatures. Using low-key lighting, the food objects look like strange organisms, partially hidden in darkness. Nishihata intends for the viewer to consider food as not just food, but as living organisms. He feels this can easily be forgotten in our world of fast food, microwave meals and mass consumption.

Nishihata currently shoots out of his studio in Berlin, working on his on-going project ‘Destruction of Digital images and creation’ looking at how the digital image is a collective body of colour and not a handheld object that can be left behind.

This post was contributed by photographer Helen Grace Ventura Thompson.

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