Lost in Halations is a reenactment of my past, when I had longed to find a connection in the city. Growing up in a fast-paced environment, I was ready to stand against anything. New York was the place for me to thrive and succeed. However, after going through broken relationships and faded connections, I was led to a loss of self-confidence. Being in this dark place in my mind, I was unable to face these emotions and I had to move on. This project allowed me to showcase photographs infused with rich colors that evoke the tense emotions I had gone through. I directed my models to feel a range of emotions from anger to dismay by recalling a difficult time of loss or heartbreak. While creating these images, I was pulled back into my emotional state and reflected on my past. In the process of photographing myself in others, I was able to reconcile my past and better understand who I am as a New Yorker. Feeling lost in a chaotic city filled with glaring lights felt like a curse at first, but ultimately became a blessing. As the fog continues to thin, my emotional confinement slowly transforms into halations of self growth.
Chiara Hamazaki is a Japanese American multidisciplinary photographer from Los Angeles. She is currently a senior in high school in New York City and plans to study media and design in college. Inspired by her artistic parents, Chiara’s love for art came at a young age as she was exposed to many art forms, such as piano, dance, painting and sculpting. She has studied art and photography at multiple institutions including Cooper Union, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the International Center of Photography. In her photography, she enjoys capturing the natural beauty of a location and exploring themes of her Japanese heritage, sexuality, and gender. Inspired by Asian creatives such as Xiu Xiu Kong and Wong Kar Wai’s work, she often incorporates vivid colors and intricate detailing to highlight the storytelling involved in her works.