Q. Sakamaki

Q. Sakamaki

Q. Sakamaki

New York, NY

Q. Sakamaki is a New York based Japanese documentary photographer, focusing on human conditions and socio-economic issues with aesthetic images. His photodocumentary was sparked by the 1988 Tompkins Square Park riot and the following social movement in the city. In the mid-1990s, Sakamaki started to cover more international events, particularly the deadly conflicts. Since then, his works have appeared in books and magazines worldwide and have been the subject of solo shows. He has received many honors, including the World Press Photo Award and two Overseas Press Club prizes. He has published several books, such as “WAR DNA (Japan, 2007)” covering seven deadly conflicts, “Tompkins Square Park (PowerHouse Books in U.S., 2008)” depicting New York’s anti-gentrification movement and “Chance Encounters: New York (Japan, 2022) “ depicting his own metaphor through New York street scenes. He holds a master degree in international affairs from Columbia University. He is also an educator and a writer. In recent years, he is further exploring photo-documentary, combining with fine art and/ or often doing portraits, to understand and feel not only the significance of photography but the joy and hardship of life.

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Q. Sakamaki Details Portfolio
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A newly arrived internal displaced person from Tskhinvali in South Ossetia -- Leila Chulukhadze, 49
Hisashi, Japanese man, in the woods. Shizuoka, Japan.
Rebecca, who nearly always needs a cane due to brain trauma injury and the permanent paralysis, though low level, poses on grass with flower, in New York
A survivor looks into the air at an evacuation camp in a elementary school in Onagawa, as more than half of the district population have been missing due to the monster tsunami. Onagawa, Miyagi, March 16, 2011.
Nearly burned out wedding album remained at a tsunami destroyed and burned down area in Kesennuma, Miyagi
"Sri Lanka is at the brink of all-out war: The soldiers at the funeral of a general killed by suicide attack." ksaka "Sri Lankan Conflict"
For the long-suffering citizens of Sri Lanka, the 23-year civil war between the government and LTTE, or Tamil Tiger rebels, is a nightmare from which they cannot awake.
An old Jewish lady in a jewish retirement compound in Tehran, Iran, as she keeps the legacy of the faith and identity more than 2,500 years old.
At the ruins of Sanliurfa Castle during Hittite era, a seemingly wealthy Muslim girl is chasing her parents. Sanliurfa, Turkey, July 26, 2007.
Part of series of "Harlem in the Corner". 32 y- old homeless man Yuga, struggling with mental disorder, though he remains calm.
Part of series of "Harlem in the Corner". Pedro, 45 y-old homeless man struggling for living and detoxication.
Serset, two year old Native American Sioux, looks onto outside, as the desolate town of Manderson in the Pine Ridge reservation is reflected on the window.
After the rain storm, Fukue Island, Goto, Japan, March 2017.
A newly arrived internally displaced person from Gori district -- Lika Masmishvili, 13
Fu, Japanese lady, poses with wild daisy, in Fukushima, where she has the family root.
Rebecca, who nearly always needs a cane due to brain trauma injury and the permanent paralysis, though low level, poses with red baloons.
Mei, Japanese dancer, as she performs at the rooftop of her apartment, New York.
Rebeccah Bogue, 34 years old AVM survivor. She experienced the AVM rupture at 17 during her Ballet lessons.
A cattle herder in Gun cattle camp poses with AK 47, as their disarmament becomes the critical issue in Southern Sudan.
Girls of Agar tribe perform Danny dace in a cattle camp in South Sudan where cattle raids often take place and destabilize the possibly new country.
A scene of Gun cattle camp, as cattle raids often take place due to the ethnic tensions in Southern Sudan.
A woman of Agar tribe in a cattle camp collects feces whose ash is used to protect those Nomads and their cows from dangerous insects and the sun drying.
Sobheya Hamid Abu Mutlag, 59, poses at her home in Khan Yunis destroyed by Israeli artillery during the summer’s 50-day war between Israel and Hamas.
Centering extremely exhausted mother Fatma Ibrahem Abu Mutlag, 46, her daughters -- Heba, 23, on the left, Hanadi, 19, on the right, and Hadeel, 9, on the front -- pose at their destroyed home in Khan Yunis due to Israeli airstrike and bulldozers during the summer’s 50-day war between Israel and Hamas.
Eman Al-Najar, 23, saw her home in Khoza’a in Khan Yunis destroyed and her brother killed by Israel Defense Forces during the summer’s 50-day war between Israel and Hamas.
The destroyed village scene of Otsuchi, Iwate, due to the unprecedented tsunami in Japan, created by the March 11th magnitude 9 earthquake.
The destroyed village scene of Onagawa due to the unprecedented tsunami in Japan, created by the March 11th magnitude 9 earthquake, while a Japanese Navy copter is flying.
An outside scene of the New York Stock Exchange Market, as Wall Street suffers through another extraordinary and traumatic session, following the sharp drop of the Asian markets.
A man looks at the financial news with trepidation, at the Nasdaq stock-exchange site in New York City’s Times Square, as the world is facing the historic financial meltdown.
The Wall Street’s trembling financial system, trigged by the sub-prime loan crunch, finally buckled in September.
An overview of Rocinha, the biggest favela in South America, where drug mafia, gangs, poverty and huge unemployment situation are extremely rampant.
Teens play soccer in favela Rocinha. Rio, Brazil, Jan 27 2008.
A scene of Black Sea in Yalta region in Crimea. Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine, located in the south of the country on the Black Sea, A scene of Black Sea in Yalta region in Crimea. Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine, located in the south of the country on the Black Sea, and the majority is absolutely Russians. and the majority is absolutely Russians.
Uighurs, including this small girl, wait for customers for their donkey carts at Melikawat Ancient Ruins in the southern suburb of Hotan, as many Uighurs find themselves economically marginalized.
Uighur children play badminton near the construction site of high-storied modern buildings where a large scale of Uighur old communities once existed.
Two Uighur men are staying at their demolished and flattened community due to the Chinese modernization projects or Chinesefication, though the government insists the main reason is security of houses -- especially resistance to earthquake, in Kashgar, Xinjiang.
Hill Dois Irmaos, Mt brothers to English equivalence, is seen at the beaches of Ipanema and Lebron where upper middle and rich people live.
Rebecca, who nearly always needs a cane due to brain trauma injury and the permanent paralysis, though low level, relaxes on grass, in New York
Kids in Kosovo flush the victory signs at an American copter after the liberation, 1999.
Chinese women hang out in famous/infamous night spot Kundu in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, as China’s massive economic development, as well as its migration, has created the outstanding gap between the rich and the poor in the recent years.
With slightly showing his artificial left eye, Danish Raja Jhat, 24 year old innocent victim of pellet bullets by India's Kashmir strategy, smokes during the rehabilitation workshop for visually impaired people, in a suburb of Srinagar.
Dance in snowy Central Park. New York continuously experiences Polar Vortex related snow storm, yet some people, like Mike, enjoy it. He is an artist, but performs a dance more than hobby, Feb. 2014.
A lone man and pigeons, New York.
Despite the fear of Fukushima's future, some of the young generation decide to stay, May, 2015, Hisanohama, Iwaki.
Baby swallow at the altar at an abandoned elementary school in Ukedo, a highly restricted area in Fukushima.
Pier Costantini Rasmus Degnbol