Luthier: Paulo Kensaku Yuba
The subject of this portrait series is Paulo Kensaku Yuba, a self-taught luthier who made his way from a community in Brazil to live in Lexington, Virginia. I first met Kensaku more than twenty years ago, when he was crafting one of his first violins in the windowless basement of a small house in my hometown of Charlottesville. I was immediately intrigued by this man, whose quiet focus was unencumbered by any desire for commercial gain, but rather driven by his love of music and dedication to the aesthetics of instrument making.
My respect and admiration for Kensaku continued to grow as our friendship developed and I learned more about him. I became aware of how much his unique character was the product of the farm in Brazil where he was raised. The Yuba Farm — known as “Yama” by those who live there — is a place where the arts are infused into every aspect of daily life. I was so fascinated by what I had heard about Yama that I have made two trips there to photograph (Documentary:Yama on this website). Since our first meeting, Kensaku has made more than twenty stringed instruments, many of which he has sent to Yama to be played by community members living on the farm. My photographs document him making and repairing instruments in his garage workshop in Virginia and on the Yuba Farm in Brazil.