Kuro Ni Kuro - Shinkó, 2016

Kuro Ni Kuro by photographer Dereck Hard is a series of minimalist still lives. The name means "black on black" in Japanese. This series served as an art-therapy as the artist went through a complicated relationship. Items on photos remind him of the unhappy romance. The artwork Shinkó, which means "fate" in Japanese, depicts a crucifixion. Hard Dereck draws a parallel between Christ, who suffered for his belief, and a man in love who suffers for love. The photographer arrives at a sad conclusion: even people with the best and brightest intentions may end up in suffering. As the French say, c'est la vie.