Eesti Sepad

I went to Estonia about one and a half years ago. Then my friend who I met by chance there introduced me to one blacksmith. When I got into his workshop, I was fascinated by the place: The place was like another world that I have never seen just like steampunk. Since I met him I have visited Estonia twice. Every single time I go to Estonia I take photos of craftsmen I met and also other blacksmiths introduced. The reason why the craftsmen charmed me is that in the developing civilization, manufacturing has been automated but there are still some people who create something by hand. Somehow I feel the works which were manually made but not automatically with machines are valuable. I would never have deepened my friendship with them if had been just machines . I can't communicate with machines like with people so far now. I have been taking many photos of craftsmen. And this time I chose blacksmiths from among many craftsmen. Because I felt like I found a part of our culture which we are losing in Japan in a country far away from our country.

Jun Ishikura is a photographer based in Yokohama Japan. His photographs have no boundaries as he captures varieties of scenes in life and creations. His interests are of where human species come from and will go in the future. He focuses on occupation, community, technology, and conceptual culture. His perspective variety is unpredictable, as none of his projects are alike. His work changes from project to project but fascinating enough, his root concept remains the same. His artworks are not only documentary, but at times physically created by himself.