"Synthesis" is an artist’s book by Japanese multimedia artist Mari Katayama, charting six years of her work from 2019 to 2025. The book includes nine photographic series, notably the new "Tree of Life," all created in her home studio following the birth of her daughter and her return to Gunma province. Through intricately composed self-portraits, Katayama explores themes of identity, perception, and transformation, placing her body in relation to hand-sewn sculptures and paper collages. The book captures the interplay of past and future, natural and artificial, celebrating the body as a dynamic site of beauty and resilience.
