Graduate blog: My life in Kyoto, Karim Skalli, MA Photography

MA Photography graduate Karim Skalli moved to Japan in 2020 during the pandemic.

Since arriving, Karim has documented his life in Kyoto during extraordinary times, capturing beautiful moments that he has used to create his new photo-book project: JPN Journal. We talk to Karim about his love of Japanese photographers and collaborating on his newest project with NUA BA (Hons) Graphic Design Alumni Nicholas Packer.

Images courtesy of Karim Skalli

What attracted you to working in Japan? 

I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Japanese photographers (Rinko Kawauchi, Naoya Hatakeyama and Mikiko Hara to name a few), which resulted in this love for Japan from afar. When the opportunity came up to live and work in Kyoto, I jumped at the chance, knowing full well that I could push my own photographic practice in the country that has had such a big influence on my work. 

Where are some of your favourite places to photograph in Kyoto? 

There’s too many. Kyoto is such a beautiful city. If I had to choose a particular place, it would probably be the Kamogawa, the river that runs through the heart of the city up to the mountains in the North. I go there quite a lot for a walk with my camera. There are always different things going on — people playing their instruments, families having picnics, friends playing sports, students studying — so it’s always a good place to photograph. 

What initially inspired the JPN Journal project? 

I think just living in Japan during this time period inspired me to really go out and collect a series of images as a visual diary of my time here. There wasn’t much, if any, thought behind it initially. I didn’t really want to box myself in with a theme or any deep meaning behind the project; it was all about just finding my love for photography again and creating this journal of my time in Japan, specifically as it coincided with coronavirus. 

Where did you start — how did you get your project going? 

I was posting a lot of my images online and a few people had mentioned how they’d like to see a book of my work in Japan. It had been a while since I last made a physical photo-book or worked on a project, so it felt like the right time. I got in touch with Nicholas Packer, fellow NUA alumni, about collaborating and we went from there really. 

What was it like collaborating on this project with fellow Alumni Nicholas Parker? How did you work together?

Nick and I were housemates during our time at NUA and collaborated a couple of times on projects, sharing a passion for Japanese photo-books, funnily enough. We had regular zoom calls discussing our ideas, image selection and layouts- it has been a collaboration from start to finish and I consider the photo-book as much his as it is mine. If I were to give any advice to current students, it would be to collaborate with people on different courses and see how it can push your work and change the way you view it. 

Are there any photographers or designers that inspire you? 

So many. Recently, I’ve been into some of the older classic photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doesneu, Vivean Maier and Saul Leiter. It’s been interesting to go back and look at the photographers I first studied during college and see and appreciate them with a different perspective all these years later. Of the more recent photographers, I particularly enjoy the works of Jamie Hawkesworth and Max Miechowski and the warmth you get from their imagery. 

What advice would you give to graduates looking to work abroad? 

If you get the opportunity, do it. Especially if you’re feeling in a bit of a lull creatively. Being in a new environment and getting a new perspective on the world can have a big impact on how you make work. Before moving to Japan, I wasn’t creating a lot of work that I particularly liked or enjoyed and, in some ways, felt lost creatively. Moving away and just enjoying photography again with no worries has really helped me re-find that obsession I once had, and I feel like I’m finding my style all over again because of that. 

You can support Karim and Nicholas’s project on their Kickstarter page

Instagram: @karimskalliphoto

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