Takeshi Moro

About

Takeshi Moro is a photographer who uses traditional photo processes and techniques to create large-scale color prints that are often the result of performative collaborations with his subjects. One such collaboration was to ask people to enact the traditional Japanese bow of apology in the environment of their choice while contemplating the reason for such an apology, which he then photographed. As an extension of this series, Moro constructed a large pedestal that serves as a template in which a participant can arrange his or her body in order to enact the bow. For his 12 x 12 project, this pedestal is available in the gallery for visitor use.

Moro states, “I am interested in how gestures can be a catalyst for self-expression and self-reflection, and in contemplating the accumulated historical weight that each of us inherits in society.” While the bowing gesture is deeply Japanese in nature, such gestures of submission and apology are found in many cultures and also inform Moro’s thinking, especially as he explores how cultural histories interact with personal histories to define identity.