Yuya Parker

“I show the stories of others enjoying dancing outside of traditional expectations and capture a sense of freedom.”

Meet Yuya

Yuya Parker is a Japanese photographer living in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in the small seaside town of Fukude, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. His grandmother was skilled in calligraphy and ikebana (traditional Japanese flower arranging), and he loved watching her create.

From an early age, he enjoyed painting and photography. After studying architecture in Tokyo, pursuing his interest in landscape design, and studying photography at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, he found his current career as a photographer and director. His commissioned Artist Development Fund project, titled “Jiyū,” responds to the Joyful Rhythm creative brief and explores the space between cultural expectations and authentic expression.

“When it comes to traditions, sometimes what is not expressed is as important as what is,” he says. “My upbringing in Japan taught me many beautiful traditions, but dancing was not available to me. I wanted to show the stories of others enjoying dancing outside of traditional expectations and capture the sense of freedom that dancing gives them.”

| https://yuyaparker.com/