Untold Signs

• Photographer
  Asako Naruto

I am drawn to the paradox of finding traces of absence within what is visibly present. For me, photography is a way of evoking stories that linger beyond the frame, revealing the “presence of absence” through light and shadow. In this seris, Atocha Station becomes a stage. Light from its skylights falls like spotlights, and with highlight-weighted metering I isolate what it touches: a stranger’s shoes, an arm, a strand of hair, the tilt of a posture. The rest dissolves into shadow.Fragments of a strangers’ stage—figures vanish, shadows whisper, and light leaves untold signs of the city.

Born in Japan, Asako is a Madrid-based photographer specializing in street photography. Her work has gained international recognition, winning the Grand Prix for two consecutive years at both the Paris International Street Photo Awards and the B&W International Awards, as well as 1st Place at the Fine Art Photography Awards. In 2025, she was named Best Photographer of the Year in the Street Photography category at 35AWARDS and served as an international juror representing Spain. Her first monograph, All the Fading Words, will be published in 2025.