In 2014, I was commissioned by Friends Without A Border to create a special limited-edition print for their annual photography auction. This commission honored my long involvement with Friends, donating work to support their mission. Founded by photographer Kenro Izu in 1995, Friends Without A Border builds and operates pediatric hospitals providing free healthcare to children in Cambodia and Laos.
The commission featured Early Spring, Nishi Honganji, Kyoto, a previously unreleased photograph from my ongoing work in Japan. The print, produced with archival pigment ink on 300 gsm cotton rag paper, was numbered and signed on the verso. To honor the organization's mission, we created a deluxe presentation folio through collaboration with book artist Kaoru Perry at Cloverleaf Studio and Friends Without A Border founder Kenro Izu.
Each folio was crafted with Japanese book cloth and featured original calligraphic art by Kenro Izu on the front cover. The print was displayed on a doublure covered with heirloom silk, secured with platinum-colored ribbon corners. The edition included a letterpress-printed limitation page in silver ink and the Friends Without A Border logo foil-stamped on the back. Released in an edition of fifteen portfolios plus three artist proofs.
The auction benefits Angkor Hospital for Children in Cambodia and Lao Friends Hospital for Children, providing essential pediatric care to underserved communities. The event featured works by Irving Penn, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Davidson, Michael Kenna, and other notable photographers.
Learn more about Friends Without A Border and their mission to provide healthcare to children in Southeast Asia.