3 Years in Sendai - Yousuf Karsh.

Before i left San francisco I had bought a photography Book by Yousef Karsh, the Canadian Photographer whose extraordinary pictures of famous men and women in history has always been my admiration. It was a second hand book and sold at the grren Apple Book Store on Clements  where i often did my book buying. Anyway it was one of the books that i thought i could not give up and brought it withm me to Sendai and it was from this book the I got these black and white photos of these famous artists.

Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002) is one of the masters of 20th century photography.  His body of work includes portraits of statesmen, artists, musicians, authors, scientists, and men and women of accomplishment.  His extraordinary and unique portfolio presents the viewer with an intimate and compassionate view of humanity. 

Yousuf Karsh was born in Mardin, a city in the eastern Ottoman Empire (present Turkey).^[4] He grew up during the Armenian Genocide where he wrote, "I saw relatives massacred; my sister died of starvation as we were driven from village to village."^[4] At the age of 16, his parents sent Yousuf to live with his uncle George Nakash, a photographer in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Karsh briefly attended school there and assisted in his uncle’s studio. Nakash saw great potential in his nephew and in 1928 arranged for Karsh to apprentice with portrait photographer John Garo in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. His brother, Malak Karsh, was also a photographer.^{[5]
I later donated the Book of Karsh works tot he library at the Miyagi MUseum of Fine Arts along wiht a Printmaking Book on the works by Helen Roth.}

The Sendai City Arena where the Sumo Wrestling is sometimes held.

Capturing the essence of the Japanese rustic scene usually found around temple areas.

My artist friend from Akiu City in the mountains near Sendai taken whe we had a group show together at the Miyagi Museum of Fine Arts. 

Some of my black and white works hanging on the walls in the distant. Sugawara San my artist friend once told me that, "Shamsul San, you are more Japanese than Japanese artist." I took that as a great compliment..

Most of these pieces were sold. They were don on mounted hand made 'Torinoko' Japanese papers and Sumi-e ink.

Most were large pieces and some i do not know what happened to them when we left japan.

Yes I was making a name for myself as an artist while living in Sendai.