Description
“November 2015, Sado Island–This image is from my second visit to the tiny island of Sado, a 2-hour ferry ride off the coast of northwestern Japan. I had originally traveled there to visit iconoclastic French winemaker, Jean-Marc Brignot for a story in Roads & Kingdoms and returned in 2015 to spend more time exploring the island. The island is known for many things–a massive concentration of Noh theaters, a number of Living National Treasure craftspeople, and some absolutely incredible abandoned temples. Places tourists would pack in Kyoto are virtually empty on Sado. This is an image from one of them.”
- Michael Magers
About the artist
Born in Dallas in 1976, Michael Magers is a documentary photographer and journalist whose work takes him all over the world. From deep dives into international food cultures to intimate views into the ateliers of traditional artisans, Magers imbues each photograph with a story. In 2013, he stepped back from a corporate career to hone a more creative life and pursue his passion for photography. Based between New York City and Austin, Texas, Michael Magers is a frequent collaborator with the highly acclaimed team at Roads & Kingdoms and served as the lead photographer on their award-winning travel books Rice Noodle Fish (2015) and Grape Olive Pig (2016) published by Harper Collins/Anthony Bourdain. His work has been exhibited internationally–from Cuba to Japan, Paris to New York–and appeared in a wide range of digital and print publications including TIME, Smithsonian, CNN, and The Washington Post, to name just a few. In 2019, he released his first monograph, Independent Mysteries, a selection images from his years on the road juxtaposed with original writing from his friends and collaborators.