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ABOUT
Katsuo Hanzawa
Born 1945 in Fukushima, Japan.
In 1963, Hanzawa moved to Tokyo, where he worked various jobs before deciding to venture into the world of photography, which was prompted by a conversation with Makoto Kashihara, who was a well-regarded professional photographer. He started in a processing lab, then worked at Art Center Studio. In 1968, he became Kashihara’s assistant. To master the art of photography, he traveled throughout India between 1971 and 1972, taking a vast number of portraits.
In 1974, Hanzawa became a freelance photographer. New Music Magazine published a 10-page spread of his photos taken in India, which led to commissions to shoot live-stage performances of rock musicians for New Music Magazine, Player, ONGAKU SENKA, among other music magazines. His photos of Tom Waits, featured in New Music Magazine, caught the eye of Kouchi Hara, a renowned Japanese art director, who introduced him to the world of advertising. One of the ads he worked on with Hara won the gold prize from the prestigious Tokyo Art Directors Club.
Hanzawa’s activities continued to expand, branching into fashion photography, commercial film shooting, promotional video shooting, and directing video shoots. His photographs include the Rolling Stones, Yoko Ono, Y.M.O., Southern All Stars, and many other famous musicians and artists. A compendium of his life works contains unique, liberating scenes of nature and travel pictures. He has published numerous photography books, and received many awards.
Awards:
2001 New York Art Directors Club silver award for Cut magazine project
1992 ACC (All Japan Radio & Television Commercial Confederation) CM
Festival excellence award for KDD ad
Tokyo Copywriters Club award for Iwataya department store ad
1991 New York Art Directors Club silver award for Hiroko Koshino project
Tokyo Copywriters Club award for Toshimaen amusement park ad
1990 Tokyo Copywriters Club award for Toshimaen amusement park ad
1989 Tokyo Copywriters Club award for Tokyo Gas ad
ACC CM Festival grand prize for KDD ad
1988 ACC CM Festival excellence award for Sony ad
1987 New York Art Directors Club silver award for ONWARD KASHIYAMA project
Cannes International Advertising Festival gold awards for Sato Pharmaceutical and NTT ads
1985 ACC CM Festival excellence award for CALPIS ad
1982 Tokyo Art Directors Club award for Japanese National Railways ads
Tokyo Copywriters Club award for Alfa Records Y.M.O. project
Tokyo Copywriters Club award for Alfa Records Makoto Ayukawa project
1981 Tokyo Art Directors Club award for Alfa Records Y.M.O. project
Tokyo Copywriters Club special award for Alfa Records Y.M.O. project
1980 Tokyo Art Directors Club grand prize for Suntory Spirits ads
Photography books:
2011 “Mt. Koya” by Kodansha Ltd.
“BAZOOKA: the skateboarder spirit” by Kodansha Ltd.
“Look” by WANI BOOKS Co.
2003 “son of the sun” by rockin’on Inc.
2001 “HALF MOON” by rockin’on Inc.
2000 “Happy?” by SHINCHOSHA
1995 “2094” by SHUEISHA Inc.
1994 “PASS AWAY” by Victor Books
1991 “INDIA-HANZAWA” by Kodansha Ltd.
1990 “HIGASHIYAMA-STYLE” by FUSOSHA Publishing Inc.
1989 “HUMAN SPICE” by Kodansha Ltd.
1988 “Kohei Otomo, human being” by Shogakukan Inc.
Exhibitions:
2016 "Little Window Project" vol.1 at Elephant Studio Gallery in Tokyo
"Little Window Project" vol.2 at Elephant Studio Gallery in Tokyo
2013 “FAMILY PLOTS” at Gallery Cosmos in Tokyo
2013 “IN INDIA 1971 WHERE I BEGAN” at Gallery Cosmos in Tokyo
2012 “infinity” at limArt in Tokyo
2009 “Mt. Koya 583246” at Café Hy’s in Tokyo
2009 “Meet the Mt. Koya” at Omotesando Hills in Tokyo
2008 “World Heritage Site, Mt. Koya, Kongo Sanmaiin temple” at Sendai Mediatheque in Miyagi prefecture
2000 “Happy?” at Daikanyama Hillside Gallery in Tokyo
1991 “INDIA-HANZAWA” at Petit Musée Gallery in Tokyo
Commercial film clientele includes:
Toyota Motor Corporation, Nissan Co., Honda Motor Co., Shiseido Japan Co., Kanebo Cosmetics Inc., POLA, Panasonic Corporation, Sony Corporation, Hitachi, Pioneer Corporation, Coca-Cola (JAPAN) Company, Sapporo Breweries, Asahi Soft Drinks Co., Suntory, NTT, NTT docomo, KDD, East Japan Railway Company, Kyushu Railway Company, Mitsui Fudosan Co., Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co., Tokio Marine Fire Insurance Co., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Sankyo Pharmaceutical Co., Meiji Co., LOTTE Co., Lawson, TOKYO GAS Co., PARCO CO.
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