And Then by Yukihito Kono
Artist book by Japanese photographer Yukihito Kono.
This book arose out of the realization that many of the subjects in the photographs Kono captured in recent years had already slipped beyond his reach. However, he did not aim to create a catalogue of lost objects. The texts do not function as captions for the images, nor is there a definitive or fixed relationship between the words and the accompanying photographs. The distinctive arrangement of image and text generates fleeting impressions that emerge and dissolve with each turn of the page.
As its title suggests, the book does not dwell on nostalgia for the past but instead turns its attention to what follows loss. It offers a subtle homage to the poem "Sono Ato/Afterward,” 2013) by Japanese poet Shuntaro Tanikawa. Unbeknownst to us, we are constantly letting go of things while simultaneously acquiring new ones. The choice of paper―one that visibly changes over time―resonates deeply with this theme. Its tactile quality, imbued with the passage of time, functions as a kind of compass: simultaneously evoking past and present, and gently illuminating the countless “and thens” that lie dormant within us.
Limited edition of 300 copies.
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Title: And Then
Artist: Yukihito Kono
Design: Yuta Murao
Publisher: Self-published, April 2025
Format: Softcover, foil stamped on spine | PUR binding
Size: 138 x 210 mm
Pages: 90 pages
Language: Japanese / English
Edition: 300 copies
Price: ¥3,850