青幻舎 SEIGENSHA Art Publishing

As a model and actress, Rina Ohta pursues work that is premised on her putting her body out in front of cameras. One day, though, she was hit by a sudden wish to turn herself not into photos or video—but lines. That wish started her on a collaborative quest with art director Naonori Yago for creative expression that explores what makes Rina Ohta, Rina Ohta, aside from her looks.

This book grew out of an exhibition of the same name. For that show, Ohta first picked out several motifs she thought best represented herself out of a few dozen personal photographs she had taken. The motifs were rendered one by one by Yago onto medium-sized canvases; those were then progressively enlarged, and also complemented by stained-glass-inspired objets d’art in plexiglass whose transparency referenced the notion of Ohta’s body being “unseeable.” Finally, the works were arranged alongside items including books from Ohta’s library and a chair draped with a few of her favorite clothes, shaping spaces like her own home.

The book presents views of the exhibition together with text by Ohta; turn the pages, and embark on the mysterious experience of hearing her words echo in your ears and sensing her presence in between the leaves, and yet not seeing her there.

Rina Ohta, born in 1988 in Chiba Prefecture, is a model and actress who is making her mark in both fields. A grand prize in the 2001 modeling audition for Nicola magazine started her on a prolific modeling career that has included covers for numerous fashion magazines. She made her acting debut in 2004 in the movie 69 and has recently had roles in the drama series Lupin’s Daughter, I Will Live Properly in My Next Life, and Hey Handsome!

Naonori Yago was born in 1986 in Shizuoka Prefecture. He graduated from the Musashino Art University Department of Visual Communication Design in 2008 and began working for the Hakuhodo advertising agency the following year; he joined his current agency, Six Inc., in 2014. Yago has provided brand direction for the low-cost carrier Zipair, including through the design of its logo and uniforms, and also developed visuals for Laforet Harajuku, Roppongi Hills, Lumine, and musician Akiko Yano. He held a major solo show, BaSara, at the Laforet Museum Harajuku in February 2020 in addition to publishing a collection of the same title from Seigensha. In 2023 he received the JAGDA (Japan Graphic Design Association) New Designer Award.