[First edition limited to 750 copies] The Light / Mustang: Kingdom of Light by Momo Yamanishi Photobook

About the productJapanese

Casting of Light and Time

Momo Yamanishi studied metal casting at Tokyo University of the Arts and was a member of the mountaineering club, visiting mountains such as Kilimanjaro and K2. One day, while trekking in the Himalayan mountains, she discovered an ammonite fossil in a broken stone. It was at that moment that she realized that this land at an altitude of 5000m was once the sea. Just as the shape of the earth changes over a long period of time, light also pours down ceaselessly, carving the landscape. Yamanishi was strongly attracted to the relationship between "time" and "light," and began to explore the world's memories that continue from the past to the present.

The production of this work began with a pinhole camera that he made from materials he found in Mustang, a land once home to a dynasty. Just as metal takes shape when poured into a mold in casting, light also passes through a small hole in the camera and forms an image over time. Through this process, Shanxi fixes intangible light and time.

The images captured by the pinhole camera, while emitting a soft light, burn the contours of the world onto the film. They continue to quietly imprint the memories of this land that was once the sea and once a kingdom.

"For some reason, I can vividly recall the times I took photos with a pinhole camera. The images that emerge when light is shone on the film in the darkroom bear traces of time, like the ammonite fossils I found in the Himalayas. And when the landscapes buried in my memory resurface, the untouchable outlines drawn by the light invite me into the corridor that connects the past and the future."
(From the afterword of this book)


[Artist Profile]
Shanxi peach
Born in Osaka in 1995
Completed a master's degree in metal casting at Tokyo University of the Arts
ZOOMS Japan 2024 Grand Prix
Currently based in Chiba Prefecture.

Momo Yamanishi studied metal casting at Tokyo University of the Arts and was also a member of the mountaineering club, having ventured to peaks such as Kilimanjaro and K2. One day, while trekking through the Himalayan mountain region, she discovered an ammonite fossil within a broken rock. It was a moment of realization—this land, now standing at an altitude of 5,000 meters, was once an ocean. Just as landscapes transform over vast stretches of time, light too continues to pour down without ceasing, etching itself onto the earth. Drawn to this interplay between time and light, Yamanishi began exploring the traces they leave behind, connecting the past to the present.

This project began in Mustang, a land that was once home to an ancient kingdom. Using materials she gathered there, Yamanishi built her own pinhole camera. Just as molten metal takes the shape of its mold in casting, light, too, passes through the tiny aperture of the camera, forming an image over time. Through this process, she seeks to give form to light and time—things that cannot be touched.

The images captured by the pinhole camera blur and soften the light, yet still inscribe the contours of the world onto film. They quietly record the memory of this place, which was once an ocean and once a kingdom.

"I can remember each moment I took these pinhole photographs. The images that formed in the darkroom as I shone light on the film contain time within them, just like the ammonite fossil I picked up in the Himalayas. As they bring back scenes buried deep in my memory, the intangible shapes drawn by light become a corridor that connects past and future." (From the afterword of this book)
[Artist Profile]
Momo Yamanishi
Born in Osaka in 1995.
Master's degree in metal casting from the Tokyo University of the Arts.
Grand Prix winner, Zooms Japan 2024.
Lives and works in Chiba, Japan.

Product Information

release date Available now

Part numberGPHT12140J-9784909742063

Specification 270mm x 225mm x 18mm / 80 pages / Hardcover / Cloth binding / Embossed / Japanese & English

Notes

In-stock items usually ship within 1-3 days.
If the item is out of stock, we will inform you of the stock status and delivery date by email after you place your order. Thank you for your understanding.
We do not accept returns or exchanges of products. However, we will accept returns and exchanges if the product is defective or damaged due to our fault.