The late Japanese photographer Fukase Masahisa is well known for his obsession with cats. He once raised a beloved cat "Sasuke (Sasuke)" and took good care of it. One day, Sasuke suddenly disappeared. Fukase put up search posters everywhere, hoping to find his beloved cat, but there was still no news after a period of time; until one day, an enthusiastic woman happened to find the trace of サスケ, and hurriedly sent the kitten back to Fukase.
It's a pity that it wasn't Susuke who returned to his embrace. This cat does look a bit like サスケ, but when I saw it for the first time, I felt inexplicably disappointed after all, "Oh~ then treat it as it is", and took it back like this. Named the second generation of サスケ——continuing the emotions and memories of love, just like the original サスケ. He spends every day with it, and wherever he goes, he will take Suske with him: Harajuku, express trains, Ueno Zoo and the seaside of Japan.... Through his lens, he records the lost fate and a special encounter. From these photos, we can see his deep affection for サスケ, and present the charming and lovely appearance of the cat.
In the second half of the 1970s, Fukase released three cat-themed photobooks, "ビバ!サスケ (Long live! サスケ)", "サスケ!! 爱しき猫よ (サスケ!! Beloved cat)", "猫の麦わら热（猫的睡衣）", are mainly for shooting サスケ, but these are just to meet Published at the time of the unprecedented cat craze in Japan, it is difficult to classify as a collection that highlights Fukase's unique photographic expression. It was not until "Afterword" published by roshin books in 2016 that the サスケ images shot by Fukase were rearranged for the first time.
In 2021, "サスケ", co-published by the Japanese publishing house Aka々舎 and the French publishing house Atelier EXB, is not simply a reprint of the early photography collection, but a complete re-examination of Fukase's perspective, from the 1970s Fukase developed it himself Selected and edited from the silver salt photos, based on Fukase's notes on サスケ, will be able to show Fukase's photographic attempts and performances through サスケ, and collect them into a book.
"That year, I lay flat on the ground and took a lot of photos, just to put myself in the line of sight of the cat, and in a way, it can be said that I turned myself into a cat. I had a lot of fun. While playing with my beloved サスケ, while taking pictures, the surrounding nature is changing as usual." - Fukase Masahisa
As one of the representative figures of post-war photography in Japan, in the mid-1970s, Fukase Masahisa founded the "WORKSHOP Photo School" together with Tomatsu Illuminating, Hosoe Hideko, Yokosuka Komitsu, Araki Nobuyoshi, and Moriyama Daido. In the same year, he participated in the MoMA sponsored by New York A milestone joint exhibition of Japanese photography "New Japanese Photography". The photo book "Crow" published later quickly became a classic in the history of modern photography. In 2010, it was even rated as the best photo book in the past 25 years. It is a masterpiece full of obscurity and bitterness.
It was in 1976 that Fukase and his wife Yoko ended their thirteen-year marriage that led to the birth of the photobook "Crow". The main axis of loneliness and desolation is pushed to a new level of abstraction, creating a sad and beautiful story. Although Yoko is invisible, the crows flying in the dark show afterimages projected by longing; Fukase, who lost his beloved wife, is strongly reflected on the film, that lonely and sad scene.
However, what is less known is that the theme that was carried out at the same time during this period was "サスケ". After separating from his wife, Fukase took the kitten with her wherever she went, and obsessed with photographing its energetic posture and unrestrained play. In the サスケ photographed by Fukase, the afterimage of his ex-wife can still be seen hidden in it, but the posture is the opposite of "Crow", full of joy of life.
"So far, "サスケ" is quite famous in the field of healing cat photography, but it is rarely regarded as part of Fukase's career work. However, "サスケ" and Fukase's masterpiece "Crow" are actually two sides of the same body. These two works are bounded by another masterpiece of Fukase, "Yoko", and the true value of "サスケ" can only be understood when the yin and yang are divided." Said Tomokosuga, founder of Fukase Masahisa Archives. "Crow" bears the weight of life, while "サスケ" reflects the brilliance of life, and the two are as one with each other like a mirror.
This book "サスケ" is published in Japanese and English at the same time. The book is divided into four chapters, recording the life of Fukase and the cat in chronological order. Like several other works, the photographer can be seen projecting his own consciousness into the subject of photography. The cats beside him are Fukase's sincere partners, and they never leave, replacing the eternal regret left by his ex-wife, superimposed in the image of flying crows.
