●Biography
Tetsuya Kusu took off on a journey that would take him across Eurasia. His final stop on this journey was a small island in Thailand which became his second home. While working there as a diving instructor for 6 years, he fell in love with photography honing his craft, shooting various underwater photos. After returning home to Japan, he started working independently as a photographer focusing on underwater, resorts, architecture, portraits, and cultural photos for magazines and advertising mediums. He quit commercial works, and started creating works on a project basis from 2014, continuing the announcement at home and abroad.
●Artist Statement
I’m collecting my own moments to confirm that I’m really alive.
In my lifetime various happenings have occurred. For instance, I've witnessed three major earthquakes. I have also barely escaped from terrorism twice. I have had several other close brushes with death as well. Then, after I experienced a major hard reset in my mentally extremely overpowered life and spent three years being homeless, I became fascinated by why exactly I was alive. Photographs have been a very convenient medium of capturing the fact that "I am alive". Also, I want to understand why I am alive by gaining their moments. This is the self-portrait itself.
●CV
•Education
1999 B.B.A. Momoyama Gakuin University, Osaka, Japan
•Solo Exhibitions
2020 Court Tree Collective, New York
2019 Serindia Gallery, Bangkok
2016 Zen Foto Gallery, Roppongi, Tokyo
2015 The Dorsz British Fish & Chips, Krakow, Poland
2014 The Dorsz British Fish & Chips, Krakow, Poland
2010 LAMA space, Chigasaki, Japan
2009 The Landmark Tower, Yokohama, Japan
•Group Exhibitions
2016 G/P gallery SHINONOME, Shinonome, Tokyo
2015 White Box Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2014 Kawaba New Nature Photo Festival, Gunma, Japan
2014 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Chiyoda, Tokyo
2011 O Art Museum, Shinagawa, Tokyo
2010 O Art Museum, Shinagawa, Tokyo
2009 O Art Museum, Shinagawa, Tokyo
2008 O Art Museum, Shinagawa, Tokyo
2008 OSAKA-JO HALL, Osaka
2007 O Art Museum, Shinagawa, Tokyo
2007 Museum of Maritime Science, Tokyo
•Monographs
2018 AUTO-GRAPH, Zen Foto Gallery
2016 American Monuments, Zen Foto Gallery
2015 Eight Photographers, Bridge Books (Selected one of the eight
artists)
2008 GORGEOUS, TOKIMEKI Publishing
•Awards
2016 KYOTOGRAPHIE HASSELBLAD Prize, finalist
2015 Kuala Lumpur International Photo Awards (KLPA), finalist
2015 TOKYO FRONTLINE PHOTO AWARD, finalist
2015 LensCulture Portrait Award, finalist and Jurors' Pick
2014 Kawaba New-Nature Photo Award, finalist
•Interviews
2016 ASIA PAPERCAMERA Interviewed by Tan Lee Kuen
2016 LENSCRATCH by Jay Gould
2016 A Photo Editor by Jonathan Blaustein
2014 About Exhibition”The Order of The Day” by KRAKOW POST
2014 About Exhibition”The Order of The Day” by BEAUTIFUL KRAKOW
2011 About Photography by Tourism Authority of Thailand
•Features
2017 Slide Show at Obscura Festival of Photography, Penang, Malaysia
2015 Slide Show at Mt.Rokko International Photo Festival, Kobe, Japan
