Tsumari Story is a poignant photography series crafted by the artist duo RongRong from China and inri from Japan between 2012 and 2014. Born from their personal journey after being invited to the 2012 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, the series documents their experiences as they relocated from Beijing with their three sons to the snow-laden landscapes of the Tsumari region. Central to the work is the intimate portrayal of the family's dynamics set against a backdrop of traditional Japanese farmhouses, serene forests, and deep winter snow. The artists employed traditional black-and-white darkroom techniques, blending innovative methods such as multiple exposures, layered materials, and delicate hand-coloring to imbue the images with a timeless, ethereal quality. Through this series, they delve into themes of human connection, reflecting on "new beginnings" and the profound relationship between the human body and its environment. Major presentations of the series include large-scale inkjet prints displayed permanently at the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field, some suspended from the ceilings of a former gymnasium, while individual works have been acquired by prestigious institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. In 2014, a limited-edition monograph titled Tsumari Story, featuring 54 images from the series, was also published, further encapsulating their artistic journey.
This beautifully made and printed limited edition book entitled “Tsumari Story” shows the artists RongRong & inri as parents (they have three children). The love and intimacy between the artists and their children presented in the “Tsumari Story” series is one that transpires amid a setting of white snow, farms, and forests. It is in the relationship between all the elements—the family, house, and nature—where beauty is found. The couple wholly invests in the belief that their life is inseparable from their art, and with “Tsumari Story,” their art is inseparable from their awe-inspiring surroundings.