A book review on “A Red Hat”, Dec 2020
How could one possibly not thinking about what happens now in this world while looking back into the past?
Two Japanese artists in their 20s were sentenced imprisonment in 1943 for their opposite thinking that could be potential hazard to their nation.
In 2020, Hong Kong. History repeats.
Kentaro Takahashi demonstrates an excellent storytelling skill through his sequencing of images in a form between street and documentary photography. He is not in rush to take his audiences into the world of two subject artists’ daily life. The longer one takes to view from a distance, the more one could see is what he suggests. Suddenly viewers are overwhelmed by how up-close Kentaro could possibly takes us to his subjects, from their daily routine, down to the cigarette they smoke and the paint brushes they will use, like a member in their family.
But how could we possibly learn from these two beautiful old souls, experiencing something so hard and unbearable in their youth yet living so simple and graceful in their winter life?
This could be one of the many underlying themes in Kantaro’s new photo book, "A Red Hat". Looking into other people’s life and hardship gives us strength to deal with frustration. The two artists cherish every single moment from the time they spend with family, and tea they sip; every chance they could travel and talk about what they have gone through in public, and the every brush stroke they would make on drawing paper.
Life goes on, and it's all about your attitude in regards to the pain and cruelty in life.
Kentaro also plays a little mind game of seeking red with readers. Not just the symbolic red hat, but the colour red becomes an important element that penetrates through this visual journey - from the red scarf to cherry tomato of Ryoichi’s evening snack, to Goro's favourite lounge chair and red kettle he used to make tea; red is the colour of this nation, and it justified the suffer in their past only hoping for the best for the future.
Forgive, but never forget.
WWH