Soul South: African-American Portraits in the Deep South, 1977

In 1977, a young Japanese photographer left her native country to travel abroad for the first time. Journeying through every part of the U.S. by bus, Kei Orihara met and documented African-Americans in the Deep South. It was there she found a spiritual home, and those encounters changed her outlook on life forever.

The first solo exhibition of her work - the photo series "Soul South" - soon followed in Tokyo. Those images and all their warmth and humanity are collected in this stunning and beautiful photo testament.

About the Photographer

Kei Orihara is a Japanese photographer and writer. Her work has appeared in publications in Japan, as well as in Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and the United States. Born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, she studied at Chuo University in Tokyo. After a brief period working as a junior editor for a literary magazine, she began full-time freelance photo work, focusing on magazine interview assignments. She held her first solo exhibition "Soul South" in 1977.

About the Photographs

The documentary photographs presented in this book are digital reproductions of the original silver
gelatin prints created for exhibition in 1977.

Museum quality giclée prints will be made available for purchase through the Soul South web site.

For inquiries concerning editorial licensing, please contact through the web site.