BIO
Mari Sarai is a Japanese Art photographer who has worked in New York, London, and Tokyo. MARI was born in Nara, Japan. She studied photography and English at Santa Monica College in Los Angeles when she was a teenager. After beginning her career as a photojournalist in New York, Mari moved back to Japan and transitioned to fashion photography. After 6 years fashion photographer's carrier in Tokyo, she relocated to London where she became a well-established fashion photographer, shooting for magazines such as i-D, Harper's Bazaar UK and Dazed & Confused. in 2014, she moved back to New York to seek her American dream with her family. Her work appearing in the likes of Interview Magazine and Vogue Japan, shooting likes of Adele, Scarlett Johansson, and in late Amy Winehouse.
Mari’s 1st book "Naked", a monograph of female nudes published in 2011, is the culmination of the subject of femininity and female sexuality, with Mari’s provocative interpretation of female strength.
In March 2017, Mari released her 2nd book via Damiani Books, "Speak Easy", inspired by gender roles men and women play within society. By celebrating all notions of gender and sexuality, the previously defined terms fall away. Mari’s 3rd book Delusion has just been released via publisher THOUSAND, inc in Tokyo Japan. Mari’s dream to have world class art director Fabien Baron made this book has come true. Delusion is focused on Mari’s confusion, phobia, paranoia and fantasy. And at the 4th publication book of “SEPT.2020 NYC” has came out in March 2021. This book is the very first time for Mari’s documentary photography book. The world completely transformed under the state of emergency in 2020. Mari has had the chance to capture moments of rebirth and rebuilding - of those who survived, and those who didn’t give up. This spirit and resilience is something she will forever treasure, and will forever find herself inspired by. She is deeply grateful to have spent and shoot “The month of September, 2020” in New York City.
