"Nusa"is the result of a dialogue between the photographer Masao Yamamoto and the composer and musician Akira Uchida, initiated by IIKKI, between April 2025 and March 2026.

"Nusa" is the last part of a trilogy started in 2020 with Masao Yamamoto and Akira Uchida. A project that began with light (“Sasanami”, 2020), moved through darkness (“Kurayami”, 2023), and returned to the ambivalence of the two (“Nusa”, 2026), which ultimately sustain and complement one another in all their variations and complementarities. Both in terms of tones and in the humanity that runs through us in these times of such stark contrast.

For this last part of the trilogy, Masao Yamamoto and Akira Uchida travelled to the island of Hokkaido at the beginning of 2026 to supplement the project with photographs and audio recordings of the ice and the surrounding landscapes

Yamamoto Masao started to photograph when he was 16 years old. He also studied painting but later chose gelatin silver print as his media. His first gallery show in the U.S. was in 1994 in San Francisco. In 1996 he had a solo exhibition at Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York. His works have been shown in Europe since 2006. Besides Japan, U.S.A., and Europe, his museum and gallery exhibitions were held in Moscow and Sao Paulo. Media coverage includes NY Times and other major art magazines.

Yamamoto Masao lives in Yatsugatake Nanroku,Yamanashi Prefecture where he enjoys creating his work while being close to nature.

(www.yamamotomasao.com)

Graduated in saxophone from Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, Akira Uchida explores sound through tuning, medieval music, and acoustics, supporting jazz pianists as a piano tuner.

After training under instrument maker Masahiro Adachi, he became an independent clavichord builder. In 2020, he created an instrument for Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 2021, he crafted one using reclaimed wood from Kiyomizu-dera Temple (FEEL KIYOMIZUDERA). His work focuses on making, tuning, and performing instruments. Since 2015, he has released 7 albums, including 3 albums on Kiku label and 3 albums on IIKKI including "Nusa".

"Making instruments, tuning sounds, being a musician, this flow is essential for me to see the world".

(www.uchida-akira.com)

Initiated by IIKKI, between April 2025 and March 2026,
Nusa is their dialog.

Photography: Masao Yamamoto
Music: Akira Uchida
Mastering: Taylor Deupree
Design: sprflxgrfzmTM
Editing: Masao Yamamoto, Reiko Nakajima, Mathias Van Eecloo