Kawauchi became interested in photography while studying at Seian College of Art and Design where she graduated in 1993. She first worked in advertising for several years before embarking on a career as a fine art photographer.
In 2001 three of her photo books were published: Hanako (a Japanese girl's name), Utatane ("catnap"), and Hanabi ("fireworks"). In the following years she won prizes for two of the books in Japan. Kawauchi's art is rooted in Shinto, the ethnic religion of the people of Japan. According to Shinto, all things on earth have a spirit, hence no subject is too small or mundane for Kawauchi's work. Her photographs are mostly in 6×6 format.Kawauchi also composes Haiku poems.
She was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 2012.
Title: Illuminance
Publishers: Aperture, USA / FOIL, Japan / kehrer verlag, Germany / Editions Xavier Barral, France / POSTCART, Italy
Design: Daniel Bear
Text: David Chandler
Dimension: 279 x 220 mm
Pages: 176
Binding: Hard cover / Japanese Binding
2011
In Illuminance, Kawauchi continues her exploration of the extraordinary in the mundane, drawn to the fundamental cycles of life and the seemingly inadvertent, fractal-like organization of the natural world into formal patterns.
Gorgeously produced as a clothbound volume with Japanese binding, this impressive compilation of mostly previously unpublished images is proof of Kawauchi’s unparalleled, unique sensibility and her ongoing appeal to the lovers of photography.
rinko, book, [Photo1]http://imgur.com/JHpUdBW), Photo2, Photo3,Photo4, Photo5, Photo6, Photo7, Photo8, Photo9, Photo10, barra