Russia
Yulia
Skogoreva
Salt & Tears
Today, gender equality is a major subject of global debate. Sport is considered a platform where gender must encounter no boundaries; however, there are still many gaps that remain.
It is little known that sumo – a historical Japanese martial art and a longtime favourite sport of the nation – is open solely to male professionals. Women are not allowed to be part of this world.
Covered by a thick layer of stereotypes and strong patriarchal beliefs, female sumo in Japan is only accepted on an amateur level. In traditional 大相撲 (ōzumo = big sumo), women are considered impure and cannot step into the ring.
Nowadays, female sumo wrestlers in Japan are fighting hard to be heard and to be allowed to practice sumo at a professional level.
The main protagonist of this project, is Nana Abe, a vibrant young girl who, driven by her passion, decided at the age of 8, to dedicate her life to sumo.
Salt and Tears is an emotional and personal view about resilience, determination, family, childhood and fundamentally the search for one true identity.
About Yulia
Yulia Skogoreva is a Tokyo-based artist photographer.
She majored in Japanese studies at Moscow State University and worked as an interpreter for Butoh dancers. This fascination for that unique art form triggered the start of her photography career and her artistic vision. After arriving in Tokyo in 2011, she applied to the Nippon Photography Institute.
She studied photography with prominent artists such as Sebastião Salgado, Albert Watson, and world-renowned dance photographer Isabel Muñoz.
Yulia's practice has developed over the years. While still interested in movement, motion, and body language, her work now focuses on the intimacy, relation, and resilience of the mind in the face of adversity.
Yulia likes exploring new forms of visual narrative using conceptual ideas involving vast amount of research. Her practice involves many creative collaborations with artists from different disciplines.
Learn more
To learn more about Yulia Skogoreva and her work visit: www.yuliasko.com