Sumo Judo, Ari Marcopoulos

The series of portraits in this book were made during two trips that Ari Marcopoulos made to Tokyo and Kyoto, in 2013 and 2023 respectively. Despite the informality of the situation in which the subjects are captured, each individual meets the camera’s gaze with a sense of self-assurance and openness that reflects the trust that was quickly gained in each situation. The images reveal the crucial affinity between his camera and the technical skills and athleticism on display – a generous understanding of creativity and technique that goes beyond conventional boundaries and in which the distinction between practicing and performance becomes unimportant.