Satoki Nagata's 

Frances Cabrini Rowhouses

Egypt, 5 years old

Ordered to Leave the Sidewalk

I am a Japanese photographer who has been living in downtown Chicago since 1992. In the sixteen years I've lived here, the city has not changed; it has changed me. My goal as an artist is to find and show the various connections that form the reality in which the city and it's people exist.

I have learned from Zen Buddhism that our existence is composed of various relationships. This notion has inspired me to use photography to create relationships with the world to find myself.

The camera is a powerful tool that allows me not just to approach the subject, but to capture the relationships as well as create new relationships between myself and my subjects. I am always trying to create intimate bonds with my subjects while photographing, and I believe that this is the only way to show their reality and their relationships to the world. For me making photographs is equal to making relationships with the world. Through these images, I hope you will discover the subtle but substantial links captured in my photographs and feel a connection to the world I document.

-Satoki Nagata

Click here to visit Satoki's website.