Mikio Hasui

Photographer. Born in Tokyo in 1955.

Influenced by his father, an amateur photographer, he began taking photographs at a young age. After dropping out of Meiji Gakuin University's Department of Sociology, he studied under art director Takeshi Moriya. As an art director, he worked on many advertisements and record jackets. He taught himself photography from the age of 30, and became a photographer after holding a solo exhibition in 1988. He attracted attention with his portraits of celebrities in Shinchosha's magazine "03," and has since worked in a wide range of fields, including fashion and documentaries. Since around 2000, he has also been shooting movies, producing many promotional videos and commercials.

His awards include the Silver Spike at Spikes Asia (2017), the Beautiful Japan Award at the APA Awards 2019, and the Grand Prize at the 67th Nikkei Advertising Awards (all in 2018). His works are held in the collections of the National Library of France and the Shadai Gallery at Tokyo Polytechnic University.

He currently runs a photo studio called "Photo Studio Next to the Forest" in Chino City, Nagano Prefecture, and works as an artist in two locations: Tokyo and Chino.