arche Eye Ohashi

This book is a collection of photographs by Japanese photographer Eye Ohashi that visualized and captured the concept of "being protected" at her alma mater, 'Kanrei Shirayuri Gakuen'.

At the end of the Pacific War, Shirayuri Gakuen in Tokyo decided to evacuate to avoid the ravages of war. However, due to the harsh public sentiment against Christianity during wartime, finding a place to evacuate was challenging, and they finally settled on a location on top of the mountains in Hakone. Eye Ohashi studied at this Catholic girls' school, 'Kanrei Shirayuri Gakuen' from elementary through high school. As time passed, Ohashi, who had lost her lover to suicide, began to contemplate the concept of "being protected." Then, in 2015, as volcanic activity in the Owakudani area intensified, she began to photograph her alma mater in earnest. A school is a place that gently isolates children from society and nurtures them, akin to an arche. Focusing on her alma mater, Ohashi attempts to visualize the idea of "being protected" by highlighting the students, discipline, religion, history, and local customs through her photography.