Interaction
Artist Yasu Suzuka was inspired by the hands of Buddhist monks in prayer. He felt that the image of the two hands pressed flat together expressed a person in his or her entirety and he began photographing the hands of monks, priests, friends, and students with an 8”x10” view camera. He found that no matter the differences in age, personality or gender, his subjects all manifested a similar serenity when they shut their eyes and brought their hands together in prayer.
Suzuka called this series “Interaction,” as the form of the hands in prayer signifies the coming together of opposites—left and right, body and spirit—which in turn leads to balance and peace. This womb-like form, the “container” of a prayer, is found in all religions—expressing reverence, supplication, and submission. Suzuka was also interviewed about his approach to art in KJ 82 and images from his “Interaction” series appeared in KJ 59, KJ 72 (a special issue on Japan’s Peace Constitution), and KJ 92, Devotion.
JA