Biography

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To me,
Waves have always been listening.

波との時間は、
言葉を持たない対話。波との時間は、
言葉を持たない対話。

Shun Natsui

Shun Natsui夏井瞬, Japan

Born in Tokyo, Japan.

My professional practice began in 2019, following a group exhibition of my wave photography. In 2021, I was selected for Fujifilm’s "New Stories of Photographers" project, leading to my solo exhibition, Waves, at Fujifilm Square in Roppongi. That same year, I participated in the Reborn-Art Festival in Ishinomaki. Since then, I have continued to exhibit at various venues, including Tsutaya Books and Ginza CO-CO Photo Salon.

In 2023, my work was featured in Leica Japan’s "Leica x Photographer" project, followed by a feature in LEICA STYLE MAGAZINE No.43 the following year.

The reception of my photobook, Waves, fostered new creative collaborations. In 2024, I contributed photography and film to the visual production of the Mr.Children "miss you" arena tour. More recently, my work has been featured in the artwork for their 2026 album, Ubugoe.

Life has its highs and lows, much like the sea. Looking back, I realize I have chosen a life that moves with the waves.

The First Break

　夜更かしをした日であればまだ起きているような時間。携帯の目覚ましが鳴る。眠い目を擦りながらポリタンクに水を汲み、忘れ物が無いように丁寧に支度をする。千葉・九十九里までは自宅から車でおよそ一時間。深夜のラジオ番組に耳を傾けながら、気持ちを少しづつ海へ向けていく。

　サーフィンを突然始めたくなった。予定調和のような日々を送っていた２０１９年夏、「やりたいことはやればいい」そんなスイッチが突然入った。同時に登山も始め、平日三日は海へ、週末二日は山へ通う生活が始まった。二ヶ月ほど続けるうち、自然に身を置くことが当時の自分にとって必要なことだと感じるようになった。「どうせなら」と、写真を口実にその時間続けてみることにした。

My alarm goes off at an hour when the night is still lingering. Still half-asleep, I fill my water jugs and pack my gear. The drive to Kujukuri takes about an hour. With the late-night radio for company, I slowly shift my mind toward the sea.

It started with a sudden urge to surf. In the summer of 2019, amidst the quiet repetition of daily life, a switch flipped: I should just do what I want. I took up climbing at the same time—three days a week at the coast, and weekends in the mountains. After two months, I realised that immersing myself in nature was what I truly needed. So, I decided to keep going, using photography as my excuse to stay there.

Why Waves

　人はよく悩み、よく考え、だいたい都合のいいように生きている。人間がどんな想いを抱いていても自然は全てを肯定してくれる。けどそれは"肯定"というか、否定をしないだけ。自然は何も判断しない。気がつくまで時間はかかったけれど、それは言葉のない対話が心地よかったからだと思う。

　波は海の鼓動、絶えることはない。その一瞬に無数の表情がある。波が体を通り抜けるたび、僕の無意識は擦過し反応する。何時間続けたっていい、波は文句を言わない。僕も気を遣わなくて済む。その代わりこちらの思い通りになることもない。本質に触れようとする姿勢は対話を生み、お近づきになれたと思い込めば姿を見失う。とても難儀。

　僕の対話は写真。それはつまり自分の"正しさ"を問う行為。「正しくあって欲しい」と救いを求めている。自分勝手な祈りだ。

People worry, they think, and for the most part, they live to suit themselves. Nature remains indifferent to our intent. It isn’t that it “accepts” us, but rather that it never denies. Nature simply does not judge. It took me time to realise this, perhaps because this wordless dialogue was so comfortable.

The waves are the pulse of the sea; they never cease. Each moment holds countless expressions; each one brushes past, and my subconscious reacts. I can stay as long as I want—the waves never complain, and I don't have to be anything for them. At the same time, they never bend to my will. The moment I think I’ve grown close to their essence, they vanish. It is never easy.

My dialogue is photography. It is an act of questioning my own “rightness.” To hold the camera is to pray—to seek salvation, hoping for things to be right. It is a selfish prayer.

Inner Journey

　写真を学んでこなかったという負い目があったのかもしれない。とにかく新しいことを取り入れ、思いつく限りのすべてに手を伸ばしてきた。良かれ良かれと機材を加え、北に南に波を求め、場所を選ばず展示会を開いた。写真家という名の元、立ち止まるのは許されないと思い込んでいた。

　五年間。全力疾走で走り抜けた。しかし得た経験と反比例するように、僕と写真のあいだに存在してた親密な光が、いつの間にか感じられないところへ消え失せていた。力をかけて前へ進めば進むほど、かえって遠ざかっていく。禅問答のような難問に深く挑むほど、自分の存在意義すら見失う。「なぜ写真をやっているのか」たくさん悔いた。長い、辛い日々が続いた。

Perhaps there was a sense of insecurity, because I had never formally studied photography. I tried to grasp at everything—new techniques, more gear, traveling across the country for waves, and holding exhibitions wherever I could. I believed that as a "photographer," standing still was not an option.

For five years, I gave it everything I had. Yet, in inverse proportion to the experience I gained, the intimate light that once existed between me and my photography had vanished. The harder I pushed forward, the further away it felt. I was trapped in a riddle I couldn’t solve, losing sight of my own purpose. "Why am I doing this?" The question haunted me. The days were long, dark, and painful.

Records and Waves

　それでも写真が僕の人生を豊かにしてくれた。これは紛れもない事実だ。

　２０１９年の合同展にて波の作品を発表したことをきっかけに、本格的に活動をスタート。２０２１年夏、富士フイルムフォトサロンの若手写真家応援プロジェクト「写真家たちの新しい物語」に選出され、個展「Waves」を開催（富士フイルムスクエア/六本木）。同年８月には、宮城県石巻を主な舞台とした総合芸術祭「Reborn-Art Festival 2021–22」に参加。そのほか、ひたちなか蔦屋書店、COREDO室町・誠品生活日本橋、銀座CO-CO PHOTO SALON など、場所を問わず個展を続けてきた。

　そんな活動が実を結び、２０２３年、ライカジャパンの「Leica x Photographer」Instagram企画にて作品がピックアップされ、翌年、LEICA STYLE MAGAZINE No.43「情熱写人」にて特集掲載。

　そして写真集「Waves」が関係者の目に留まり、2024年に『Mr.Children tour 2024 miss you arena tour』にて、演出映像として波の写真・映像を提供、また2026年には、Mr.Children New Album『産声』のジャケットアートワークに起用されるなど、作品の理解が広がっている。

　辛い時もあれば、幸せな時間もある。寄せては返す波のような人生を、僕は歩んでいた。

Still, photography made my life whole.

My professional path began in 2019, after exhibiting my work on waves in a group show. In the summer of 2021, I was selected for Fujifilm’s "New Stories of Photographers" project, leading to my solo exhibition "Waves" at Fujifilm Square in Roppongi. Later that year, I took part in the Reborn-Art Festival in Ishinomaki. Since then, I have continued to hold exhibitions at various venues, including Tsutaya Books and Ginza CO-CO Photo Salon.

In 2023, my work was featured in Leica Japan’s "Leica x Photographer" project on Instagram, followed by a special feature in LEICA STYLE MAGAZINE No.43 the following year.

The reception of my photobook, Waves, led to new creative collaborations. In 2024, my photography and film were featured as part of the visual production for the Mr.Children "miss you" arena tour. For their 2026 album Ubugoe, I contributed my work to the album's artwork.

Life has its highs and lows, much like the sea. Looking back, I realize I’ve lived a life that moves with the waves—constantly ebbing and flowing.

Shun / Moment

　「写真を撮る人」である前に、僕はひとりの人間でありたい。なすべきことは一つ。人生を生き抜くこと。素朴すぎるだろうか。いや、それはとても立派で、決して見失ってはいけないこと。ただ、あえて小さな、小さな、欲が、希望が、あるとすれば、いつもそばに写真があってほしいということ。何かの"タメ"って訳ではない。そもそも"タメ"の価値というものは、僕が決めることではないから。ただシンプルに、心が震えたその瞬間にふっと反応して、目の前の世界をそっと写真に変えられる。そんな人でありたい。

　父親から授かった名は『瞬』。込められた想いは「一瞬一瞬を大切に」。この名を胸に愚直に生き、これからも僕らしく写真を撮っていく。

Before being "someone who takes photos," I want to be a human being first. My task is simple: to live my life to the fullest. Is that too humble? No—it’s something noble, and in itself, quite something.

If I were to have one small wish, one small hope, it would be this: to always have photography by my side. Not for any grand purpose—after all, it’s not for me to decide what that value should be. I just want to be someone who, in the moment my heart stirs, can react softly and gently turn the world before me into a photograph.

My name, given to me by my father, carries the meaning of a "moment." Under that name, I want to live each and every moment with an honest heart—living my life, and taking my photos.