Shin Shin is a Japanese onomatopoeia that describes the quietness or silence of falling snow. This sensory word captures the meditative stillness that runs through Michael Kenna’s work, and his reverence for the natural world.
Kenna has lived in the United States since his mid-twenties but was born in England (1953) where he studied at a seminary school as a boy, intending to become a priest. His early encounters with ritual and faith left a lasting appreciation for mystery, doubt and the unseen.
Over five decades, Kenna has developed a distinctive visual language – a dialogue between dramatic chiaroscuro and the quiet minimalism of Japan, where he has regularly photographed since 1987. Many of Kenna’s images are made at dawn or at night, often using long exposures, some lasting up to ten hours. Primarily working with a 120 mm analogue camera and printing each image by hand in the darkroom, he creates luminous silver gelatin prints that he describes as, “an oasis, a calm place of rest, a catalyst for imagination.”
In his black and white landscapes, snow becomes a veil that softens the world. Through nature’s quiet transformation and the precision of his practice, Kenna invites reflection on what lies beyond what we can see, know, or touch.
Signed prints are available to purchase, from £1,975 + VAT. All proceeds from print sales support The Photographers' Gallery's public programme. Use the Own Art scheme to pay for an artwork in instalments.