Kaz Kondo
Born in: Tokyo, Japan
Based in: Kanagawa, Japan
SUBTEXT
The subconscious conversation of text
Subtext examines the accidental dialogues created by English text circulating in Tokyo’s urban environment over the past decade. Using found phrases from clothing, bags, and everyday objects—collected with a smartphone camera—the work employs the cut-up method to create diptychs that reveal humor, irony, and subtle cultural critique.
By presenting language removed from its original context, the series transforms text into visual and conceptual objects, exploring identity, chance, and the imprint of globalization on personal expression. Black-and-white photography emphasizes the words and their relationships, while cropped faces respect privacy and cultural norms, allowing the city itself to shape the pairings.
Unexpected connections emerge—forming accidental narratives between everyday life, consumer culture, and globalized language.
