“The single vending machine shining away while almost entirely buried beneath a pristine snowfield represents an ideal encapsulation of this series.”
—Eiji Ohashi
For his ongoing Roadside Lights series, Eiji Ohashi (b.1955) documents Japan’s ubiquitous vending machines as a metaphor for the modern human condition. The exceptional photograph of the barely visible appliance resolutely asserting itself with a gem-like brilliance was taken on 23 February 2022 in Hokkaidō after a record snowfall. Overcoming the difficulties of travelling on unploughed roads and working amidst a snowstorm, the artist was rewarded with a dream-like condition. He remembers, ‘The snowploughs could not clear the roads as usual, leaving a perfectly crisp, clear layer of snow around the vending machine – a perfect scenario for me.’ Due to climate change, the Sapporo native believes that he will not have another opportunity in his lifetime to photograph under similar conditions. The Japanese artist has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Moscow International Foto Awards (2016), photo-eye Best Books (2017) and the Special Photographer Award at the 34th Higashikawa Awards (2018). His work has been exhibited widely and resides in the Sapporo Art Museum, Hokkaidō.
