Celebrating Rural American Communities: A Japanese Photographer's Perspective
Fumi Nagasaka's powerful photography captures the essence of a tight-knit community in rural Alabama during a pivotal time in American history Through her lens, she beautifully portrays the resilience, unity, and spirit of this small town in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election
Before the 2016 election, I never really paid attention to politics," said Japanese photographer Fumi Nagasaka during a video call. Having moved to New York in 2002, she witnessed two Obama wins before Trump's divisive election victory seven years ago. "When it happened I just thought, Okay, this country is falling apart. Everybody started to be angry."
At the time, Nagasaka's concern was about her practice. Leaving Japan for the United States had provided her with a sense of freedom to explore creative pathways she felt were otherwise limited. "In the US, it didn't seem to matter what kind of education you had, as long you had talent and knowledge you had opportunities," she said. In the 2000s, she began shooting American street style photography for a Japanese magazine, which would ultimately shape her more personal, culture-focused work. "I wasn't confident with my English, but photography became a tool for me to meet people," she explained.
"Pink House, 2018." Nagasaka had "never really been to a small rural town" before starting this project.
Fumi Nagasaka
Inspired by this feeling, Nagasaka went on to conduct a series of extensive projects focusing on adolescence in America, Japan, Canada, and Europe. She published "Untitled Youth" in 2016, followed by "Teenage Riot" two years later, and then "Marching Wolves" in 2022. In 2017, driven by the election outcome and a desire to familiarize herself with the American South, she embarked on the first of numerous trips that formed the basis of her new monograph, "Dora, Yerkwood, Walker County, Alabama."
Young Native people proudly display their cultural identity through these portraits, even in the face of others not recognizing their heritage. When the photographer traveled to Dora, a small town with around 2,300 residents, with her neighbor from New York, Tanya Rouse, she gained insight into the differences between the big city and rural America. This experience opened her eyes to a new perspective, having only previously visited larger urban areas like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
"The Band, 2017." Football games were one of the places Nagasaka experienced the community coming together.
Fumi Nagasaka
"I had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people," she explained. "It was Halloween and homecoming, with football games, a parade, and a dance - it was the biggest event in town, so I captured it all through my photography." After that, she and Rouse made a decision to come back each year around the same time, and the result is a detailed and personal chronicle of their six years exploring the county.
Nagasaka initially faced skepticism when she started using a heavy duty, medium format camera. However, as she shared her Instagram handle and portfolio with the teens, their doubts began to dissipate. To win over the more skeptical individuals, Nagasaka contacted the local newspaper. "Everybody reads it, so we reached out about my project and an article came out. People started to understand what I did then, and I expanded the project."
"Amiyah and Tavean, 2020," by Fumi Nagasaka. An article in the highly-read local newspaper helped Nagasaka find participants for the series.
Fumi Nagasaka
While working on the series in 2020, Nagasaka also accepted a separate commission to document the presidential election. This experience further emphasized the differences in attitudes between her friends and those in New York, and forced her to confront the disparities between the racial groups she encountered. The Iranian artist uses painting as a way to honor her lost homeland.
Trump supporters were easily identifiable in Dora, sporting Trump hats and waving Trump flags, while finding Biden supporters proved to be more challenging. "It was during Covid and in Yerkwood (a predominantly Black area south of Dora), nobody was outside. We knocked on doors, because I had photographed some people the year before, and were told that if they put signs outside, people would steal them," she recalled.
"Matthew in his car, 2019." Nagasaka's book sets out to examine the human condition in all it's guises.
Fumi Nagasaka
The book itself contains no images of flags or explicit political references, despite its role in the genesis of the book and Nagasaka's initial interest in the South. While the way politics reverberates in communities also plays a part in the book, the photographer acknowledges in the afterward that "Many people, including those who live there, sometimes associate the South with poverty and rural blight. While it is undeniable that those things exist, what I found in Walker County was beautiful, charming and full of love."
"Dora, Yerkwood, Walker County, Alabama" focuses on the human condition, using the camera as a tool to capture moments of joy and celebration, as well as quiet and tenderness. Nagasaka expressed, "This project changed my life and the way I see things, and this book is my love letter to the community," conveying the care and warmth she felt for the people she met.
"Addie and McKenzie Drying Addies Rabbit, 'G Top', 2020." Nagasakas final project evolved to become surprisingly apolitical, despite being initially drawn to the idea of the South as a Conservative stronghold.
Fumi Nagasaka expressed her desire to keep politics separate from the project, despite the political climate in the town. She emphasized that she is an artist, not a photojournalist, and was dedicated to celebrating the beauty of the town. The viewer may bring political interpretations to the images, but the predominant theme is the intimacy shared between the community and Nagasaka, evident in her work.
"Dora, Yerkwood, Walker County, Alabama" by Fumi Nagasaka is published by GOST Books and out now.
