Kazuma Obara
Kazuma Obara (Japan, 1985) is a photographer based in Japan. Focusing on hidden victims in society is a theme he explores in his projects. After the tsunami and nuclear disaster in 2011, he resigned from his job in financial industry to begin documenting the disaster area where his best friend’s house was located, photographing from inside Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Obara was the first photographer to convey the story from inside the plant. His work in the disaster areas was published as the photobook Reset Beyond Fukushima, published by Lars Müller Publishers, Switzerland in March 2012.
In 2014, he focused on victims of World War Two in Japan and his self published photobook Silent Histories was shortlisted for Paris Photo/Aperture Photo Book Award and was selected for TIME, Lens Culture, and Telegraph Best Photobook 2014. Silent Histories was also published by Editorial RM in 2015 as new edition. This edition was nominated various best book 2016 such as Arles Photobook Author Award, Kassel Best Photobook.
Continuing his pursuit of nuclear issues as a long term project, Obara was focusing on victims of Chernobyl nuclear accident. His project ‘Exposure’ which was attempted to reveal invisible victims of Chernobyl accident by using old Ukrainian film was selected for World Press Photo 2015 People category 1st prize and won Athens Photo Festival Portfolio review 2015. This work was also nominated Magnum Lens culture Award 2016. His series of picture in Chernobyl will be published as photo book from Editorial RM in 2017.
In 2015, he studied at London College of Communication Photojournalism and Documentary Photography MA course and got a master’s degree. He won Magnum Photos Graduate Photographers Award in 2017.
In 2016, he is selected one of the photographers to exhibit the work at Festival Photo Reporter in France and engaging new project about victims of nuclear testing at Bikini atoll.
A partner photographer of Swiss photo agency Keystone, his photographs appear in The Guardian, Courier international, ZEIT, El Mund, Le Point, BBC, NHK, IMA Magazine, Wired Japan.
