The Awards Collective was created to feature the works of artist who have received either a Juror’s Award or Director’s Award in ASG’s Online exhibitions.  Eduardo Fujii’s image The Weight of My Sins received the Director’s Award in the “story” exhibition juried by Kevin Tully.  Eduardo’s exhibition The Uncertain Nature of Reality is discussed in this GalleryTalk.

Artist Statement

For my series The Uncertain Nature of Reality, I explore the logic-defying concepts of quantum mechanics with a loose artistic interpretation instead of scientific accuracy. I have always been interested in science and in particular quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that makes us question fundamental concepts of the world we live in. How sure are we that our perceived reality is actually there? Quantum mechanics, which attempts to model nature at the sub-atomic level, postulates that there is a cause-effect relationship between reality and conscious observation. Because of that, it drew criticism from various scientists, including Albert Einstein, who disliked the “spooky” nature of the theory. My creation process starts with a concept that I have to understand well before attempting to represent. That may require days of reading and research. The more I dig, the more intriguing the theory becomes. The implementation of concepts consists of digitally composing and collaging images of ballet dancers in rehearsal with a variety of textures and painted layers. Concepts include results of experiments that cannot be explained by classical physics lead scientists to theorize that time is not unidirectional. The future can influence actions in the past. Quantum tunneling, superposition, and entanglement are other fascinating concepts of quantum mechanics that defy logic and make us question if this is actually science fiction.

The relevance of this topic today is the fact that we are just a few years away from the next significant technological leap, the advent of quantum computers, which are believed to be able to solve problems too complex for today’s classical computers and to allow machines to outsmart the human brain in a few years. Tech giants such as Google and IBM and top universities have already developed quantum computer prototypes and expect to achieve “quantum supremacy”, a term coined by American theoretical physicist John Preskill to refer to the speedup advantage over classical computers, in the next five years.

In general, I like to capture whatever catches my eye at the moment, from landscapes and seascapes to people on the street and ballet dancers, from wildlife to architecture and still life. What my different bodies of work have in common, however, is my approach to art as an image maker. I prefer to build images instead of documenting what I see, most probably thanks to my background in painting. I approach the building process in layers, adding or subtracting elements and styles as needed. I create collages by superimposing different images and playing with blending modes. It is a fun experience to be surprised by unexpected results, the same way darkroom artists get when making mistakes with varying combinations of photo chemicals. I am keen on using textures extensively to obtain a romantic, painterly effect. My images rarely come straight from the camera. I need to leave part of myself on each image I make by manipulating them and embuing them with my most inner feelings. I always search for beauty in nature, people, and the ordinary things that often go unnoticed or overlooked due to our busy lives.

When I look at a photograph, what stands out to me is its power to stir up emotions. That’s the most important thing. That emotional connection draws people in, whether it’s happiness, calm, warmth, or even fear. It’s the reason they might want to own a print or share it with others. I also appreciate the idea of aesthetics and how I can find and showcase beauty in unexpected places. That makes a photo go from a captured moment to a work of art. Of course, technical things like lighting, composition, and color matter too, but they’re just tools to help create that emotional connection. For me, this blend of emotion and aesthetics shows my photography as an art form, not just a technical skill.

Eduardo Fujii
March, 2025

Bio

Eduardo Fujii is a self-taught fine art photographer based in Monterey, California. At an early age he demonstrated great interest in the arts but it wasn’t until late 2006, however, that he turned to photography as a form of artistic expression. His photography offers hints of the influence of music and painting on his artistic style.

Drawing on his background in painting and classical music, Eduardo creates artworks full of romanticism and symbolism. He approaches a variety of subjects, all having one characteristic in common. They are usually examples of what too often goes unnoticed. By applying a poetic style, he creates intense self-expressive images luring viewers to slow down and take the time to appreciate often-missed beauty in their busy lives. With an almost self-portraiture approach, Eduardo unveils the mysteries of nature. By means of conceptual collages and cinematic effects, he challenges long-held assumptions of what photography means to us. Rather than presenting stark reality, he prefers to fabricate an illusion to let viewers explore their imagination limits.

Eduardo’s work never comes directly from the camera in a recognizable form. It appears as lyric compositions in which dream and reality meet, past and present have no meaning, and the stories he tells are left unfinished. Imagination and self-inspection always play a key role. He creates work through personal therapeutic processes that imprint inner unresolved feelings into abstract representations of reality.

His artworks have colored the cover of Shadow & Light Magazine and the walls of galleries in Carmel, Monterey and Pacific Grove in California, Fort Collins, Colorado, and Johnson City, Texas. He also received various awards from B&W Magazine, Color Magazine, PX3 Prix de la Photographie, Professional Photographer Magazine, Monochrome Awards, and the International Color Awards. In 2017, Eduardo was awarded Photographer of the Year at the 12th Annual Black and White Spider Awards. In the fall of 2023 Eduardo participated in the ”Sacred Encounters” exhibition at the Monterey Museum of Art. A complete list of exhibitions and awards can be found on his website in  About Me.

website: eduardofujii.photograhy
facebook:  eduardofujii.photography

link to online exhibition