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Bruce Osborn takes family portraits to a different level

By on March 5, 2019

One of the reasons people have their family portraits taken is to celebrate the milestones in their life such as a wedding, reunion, birth of a baby, etc.

But for Los Angeles-born portrait artist Bruce Osborn who has been living in Japan for 20 years, the reason goes beyond that.

Taking on ‘Oyako’ (parent and child) as a signature theme, Osborn applies artistry in photographs he takes of people from all walks of life from a policeman to buddhist monks.

“I thought it would be an amusing way to bring out the differences in lifestyles and fashions between the two generations, but what finally showed through was the similarities. The pictures revealed so much about family relations that it made me want to continue exploring the theme as a way of looking at society and the tremendous changes we’re going through in our lifetime.”

“It all started with a magazine assignment to photograph punk musicians. At the time, my wife was expecting our first child and as I was considering how to take the photo of the rockers, I was also thinking about becoming a father,” explains Bruce.

“I feel the Japanese have a different philosophy on how they view parent and child relationships.”

“In English and other languages, ‘parent’ and the ‘child’ are separate individuals which are connected by ‘and’. In Japanese, they are combined together as one unit.”

Osborn released OYAKO An Ode to Parents and Children, a collection of 88 intergenerational family portraits selected from 7,000 shoots taken over a period of more than three decades.

OYAKO An Ode to Parents and Children is available from Amazon and covers Japanese society in all its variety from musicians, sushi chefs and monks, to sports figures, celebrities and the family next door.

The book release coincided with OYAKO NO HI , (parent-child bonding day) celebrated in Japan on the 4th week in July. Osborn has been actively sponsoring free parent-and-child photo shoots on Oyako No Hi since 2003.

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I finally get to bed when our children go to school. That’s why, as they leave, I always say, “Goodbye . . .
and good night!”

parent:  Sheena / rock musician child:  Junko Ayukawa / high school student

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I used to think all adults had patterns on their bodies. So what a shock it was the first time I went to a public bath: NOBODY HAD ANY TATTOOS!
Keiko Ohwada

parents:  Mitsuaki Ohwada / tattooist    Akie Ohwada / housewife
child:  Keiko Ohwada / elementary school

For more on Buce Osborn works, check out http://www.bruceosborn.com/#/work

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