BIOGRAPHY: NAOKO UKIBE

Photographer and Filmmaker

Born in Aichi Prefecture, Naoko Ukibe graduated from Sugiyama Jogakuen High School. In 1988, she attended the Suidobata Art Institute, and in 1989, she entered the Kuwasawa Design Research Institute. In 1990, she worked as an assistant at Hayasaki Studio, a photography studio owned by photographer HayaSaki Osamu (deceased, former APA Chairman). After graduating from Kuwasawa Design Research Institute in 1991, she started working as a freelance photographer in Nagoya under the name "Ukibe Naoko Photography Office." Her work primarily includes interviews for magazines (featuring celebrities such as Toshiaki Karasawa, Masatoshi Nagase, and Sho Aikawa), concert photography (including The Blue Hearts and LUNA SEA), and other conceptual images.

In 1994, she married Chiga Nishikawa, a Japanese traditional dancer (Nishikawa School, 4th generation head). She began taking stage photographs of Japanese traditional dance performances. In 1995, she held her first solo exhibition at Horiuchi Photo Salon, followed by a photography exhibition at Zojiji Underground Hall in Tokyo in November of the same year. Since then, she has been involved in annual projects such as "Nagoya Odori" (Nagoya Theater - Okazaki Theater), handling advertising and stage photography, as well as art direction. She has also worked on stage photography for Watanabe Eri, "Akasaka Odori," operas, concerts, and more.

In 2009, she created promotional photographs for the Nagoya Founding 400th Anniversary Festival's "Sengoku Dance Scroll SHIRO."

In 2018, she began producing video works in addition to her photography projects.

Filmography:

• 2020: "If" by BOYSANDMEN Honda Takesumi

• 2021: "Your Tomorrow" Project (Nagoya City Cultural Promotion Foundation x Aichi Arts and Culture Association)

• 2021: Opening video for Toyota City International Paper Forum

• 2021: The 73rd Nagoya Odori, "The Life of Nishikawa Ukon"

• 2022: "Chitose Tsuchiya by Naoko Ukibe"

• 2022: Nagoya Odori NEO, "Nagoya Love Suicide"

• 2022 onwards: Annual "Nagoya Odori NEO Eccentric" project, serving as a video director

• 2022: Creation of the video "Eternal Waterfall" for the Nagoya City Yatokame Cultural Festival

• 2023: Direction of the Aichi Asia Games Closing Ceremony performance

• 2023: Nagoya Odori NEO, "Nagoya Automaton Case"

• 2023: Directorial debut with the short film "Sanskrit"

  • Awarded Best Arthouse and Best Sound Edit at the Monaco International Film Festival

In addition to her photography and filmmaking, she also conducts art direction for her original brand "UKIBENA."