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Mai Ishida

    Mai Ishida tells us about her personal experience of how she came to do this cat photography project:

    Masao, my well-behaved cat has been living with me since 2011. When I point the camera towards Masao, the cat poses in front of the camera, and when I’m depressed and lying in the sofa, the cat licks my face.Masao grew by my side and has always taken care of me.  When in 2014, I got sick, I had to rest for three months and stayed in bed.  Even though I did not feel well, I had to prepare for the cat the meals every day and change the bedding.  I was dragging myself, feeling my body very heavy.  Every day at the same time, I changed the water, filled the bowl of croquettes, cleaned the litter.  These small everyday gestures for someone I love, every day at the same time, helped me to stay positive and move forward.  These rhythms of life helped me to take control of myself and to get better. During this period, I discovered that I wanted to study photography.  The following year I entered the University with a specialization in photography. 

    Mai Ishida learned a lot from this experience.  One can consider that if the cat lives under the responsibility of the human being, the opposite is true too. Human beings and cats live with the help of each other. 

    The photographer adds that:

    Somebody who doesn’t live with a heart full of love, has  a similar existence to a sailboat whose sails have not been used  and spread to take the wind.

    Mai Ishida sees Masao getting older and knows that one day she will have to take care of him as he did in the past.The most important thing she tells us is the present and enjoy every day with those we love. She is delighted to have been fortunate enough to have Masao’s responsibility to realize the importance of life.

    www.mai-ishida.com

    © Mai Ishida