Joya: AiR / Kazumi Sakurai / JPN

photo Simon Beckmann

Joya: AiR / Kazumi Sakurai / JPN

“It was my second time stay.

Seven years ago, it was a powerful turning point for me. The memory stayed so strong that Joya: AiR became a special place in my mind, and returning this time came with both anticipation and tension. I carried with me what I felt back then, and what I hadn’t been able to do in the years since — a sense of stagnation. Yet even within just one week, it became another intense experience. A different kind of learning from before.

Maybe I felt it last time too, but I was deeply moved each day by how everything shifted with the light. Spring flowers were blooming, yet mornings and nights were cold enough to see my breath. The vast nature, and the house itself — I was constantly in awe. I realized the house is art. What Simon and Donna have created changes with light, air, and people, and it was endlessly beautiful.

I’ve never studied photography in a formal school, so Joya: AiR somehow feels like one. I often carry a quiet sense of being behind, which makes me nervous. This time, with two actual teachers, I found myself judging myself even more — even though this should be a place to focus on my own work. Still, that unfamiliar environment, the tension, the stimulation — they made the short week feel dense, and deepened my awareness of myself and what I want to express.

The surroundings feel almost too beautiful, Donna's food is delicious, and there’s a strong sense of private space. Even if I judged myself, this place holds an unconditional acceptance — as if to say: you can fully focus on what you want to do”.

Kazumi Sakurai

she is currently living in Kauai, Hawaii. https://kazumisakurai.com