La Sabiduría de la Naturaleza

In Japanese folklore they do not mention good or bad wolves but good or bad people. The relationship between man and wolf represents the relationship between man and nature and if man keeps his promises and recognizes the blessings that nature provides then the relationship will be one of harmony. In this series, I become a shamanistic persona depicting various ancient mythologies and symbols that tell a story that embraces the wolf and does not fear it. Returning to our roots, the woven connection of man and nature within the ecosystem is essential to restore balance and to acknowledge that like the wolf, we play a vital role in the ecosystem. It is time to give back what has been taken away from the forest of Japan because Japan’s forests are not real forests without the wolf. When I presented several photographs from this series in a group show in Tokyo, The Wolf Exhibition, I spoke with Mr. Maruyama from the Japanese Wolf Association and I asked him what needed to happen for the Japanese government to allow reintroduction of wolves into the forests of Japan and he said, “we need international attention.” Japan has lost the wolf and now Mexico is facing the same problem. It seems we focus more on the celebrity animals and we forget about those smaller mammals that are also considered umbrella species because their habitat encompasses the habitats of other animals and their role in the ecosystem is vital to its survival. Through my photographs and future art projects I want the significance of the wolf to gain national attention and hope to see in my lifetime the reintroduction of wolves in Japan.