Slowly Down the River by Yasuhiro Ogawa
This is a photo story on the construction of the Three Gorges dam, in the middle reaches of the Yangtse river, China. Completed in 2009, it is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. Due to the construction, it is said that approximately 1.9 million residents lost their native land. Many riverside towns that flourished along the waterways were submerged, and as the water level inexorably continued to rise, the age-old history of this area, carried down from ancient times, came to an end. Though some years had passed since the completion of this photo story, I believe this story still works as a showcase of the real China, and hints at how this chaotic country is moving towards the future.
“My work is not about documenting the world,” says the photographer in advance of his show. “It is about looking for, and capturing emotions.”
This photo story depicts the intentional demolition of towns and displacement of populations during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, shedding light on the impact on affected communities. The 35mm camera used by Ogawa captures dream-like, shadowy images that lead to a full comprehension of the event. These images can bring to mind either the fading of human-made structures or the swelling of a river. At first glance, a romantic boat journey through China turns into a personal account of the photographer's interaction with the weight of history on the land and its people. The photographs convey an intense sense of foreboding and are devoid of positivity The people in the photos have dull facial expressions, except for an elderly woman whose laughter’s meaning is unclear. This work does not fit into any conventional photography classifications. "Slowly Down The River" was nominated for the 2006 Leica Oskar Barnack Award.
Yasuhiro Ogawa was born in Kanagawa in 1968. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Kanagawa University. Ogawa started his career in photography in his twenties, and he was inspired by the works of Franco-Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado. In 2000, he held a solo exhibition titled "Futashikana Chizu," which received the Taiyo Award. In 2009, he was honored with the Newcomer's Award by the Photographic Society of Japan for his work "Slowly Down the River." The artist was also a finalist for the Oskar Barnack Prize in 2006.
At 27, he took a ferry from Kobe to Shanghai and travelled through several Asian countries, including China, Myanmar, India, Cambodia, and Tibet.
