Eiichiro Sakata, a photographer known for shooting portraits has been responsible for shooting AERA magazine’s covers throughout the years.
This exhibition will display works of art that have captured the beauty of nature that includes animals and plants, as well as some breathtaking scenery .
While capturing our modern earth and society as “STORMY WEATHER”, the displayed works of art were created from a place of positive feelings such as “How can I build a better society?”. These works displayed a new side to Sakata while simultaneously receiving a profound reaction from society.

Stormy Weather

There are trees in which happiness dwells, and others that are inhabited by evil spirits. That’s what a friend once told me.
Although I can’t really tell the difference myself, it is true that I feel peace of mind when hugging trees, so the spirits of trees are probably exerting a healing effect on the body. I sometimes spot people who behave like this in natural surroundings.
Quite certainly, trees possess a mysterious kind of power. Large trees more than ten meters tall grow out of tiny seeds, so one can surely say that they are charged with marvelous vital force.
When the soft breeze that carries the sweet smell of summer courses through the green leaves, the trees’ spirits get into full swing and begin to dance. Without a doubt, the energy that trees irradiate soothes and revitalizes the soul.
I still remember seeing a young chef taking a contented snooze under a big tree with a book in his arms, while the sunlight filtered through the leaves, when traveling across Europe about 15 years ago. Such peaceful sights have become a rarity nowadays.
Originally living alongside nature, at some point humans have begun to seek for rather comfortable and convenient ways of life. The urban lifestyle incorporating artificial nature is causing gradual changes also in the realm of nature.
The earth on which various forms of living organisms supposedly coexist in harmony is today facing a whole catalogue of problems, such as abnormal weather and deforestation as a result of global warming and greenhouse effects, which again triggers shortages of food and the extinction of species. Radioactive pollution and nuclear warfare cause fear of the extermination of life altogether.
The planet on which we live brims over with stress, and a society in which a lot of things don’t make sense is anything but a comfortable place to live.
Man has been building up a magnificent civilized society. If we manage to arouse the wisdom that lies asleep deep down in our soul, and change our world-views just a little bit, we will surely be able to make the society of the future a peaceful one.
Now is the time to share happiness!
Today it’s Stormy Weather, but it’ll certainly be clear and sunny tomorrow!
 
Eiichiro Sakata