Ao (Blue)

Charlotte Dumas' latest photobook, “Ao,” follows the creation of three narratively linked short films - “Shio” (2018), “Yorishiro” (2020) and “Ao” (2021) - shot on the remote Japanese island of Yonaguni. In the films and the book, the central relationship is that between native horses and several young women who play and portray different roles.

As he demonstrated in his earlier work, Dumas' fascination with the animal-human bond lies in its ambivalence and depth. Incorporating symbolism and recurring themes such as the color blue (“ao” in Japanese), Dumas' book of silent, almost magical-looking photographs explores themes of autonomy, trauma, relationships and touches on a deep, universal essence of being.