Here. Still. by George Nobechi

I make photographs in places where I find landscapes of serenity and solitude, but also something familiar and human within: a sense of disconnection and longing— a hotel I frequented in my childhood, a rural train or bus, or an apartment of someone from my past. I am drawn to soft, cinematic light, like Hopper and Abell were, and in this series, the framing of windows.

Almost three years ago, I embarked on what became an odyssey, leaving behind all my possessions except for my camera and what I could carry on my back. I did so because it was the first time since my father abruptly passed away when I was 19 that I had the time and space to dig deeper into my recollections.

As I journeyed, I made photographs as a way of helping me to express my feelings towards my father's death and my life's course in its aftermath.

I soon discovered that to contextualize the settings in which I found myself, I had subconsciously begun to recall my upbringing in the organized chaos that is Tokyo. From my bedroom window as a child I spent hours upon hours gazing out at the sprawling city below and found a calmness that was elusive whenever I ventured out of the sanctuary of my room.

Now, as I journeyed I photographed from within looking out—in places where I found the presence of humanity and memory inside, and the elusive stillness of life and the gentle dance of light in the window beyond.

George Nobechi lives and works in Tokyo, Japan and Tuscon, Arizona, USA.
To view more of George's work, please visit his website.