Blue Lotus Gallery presents Torii, a new photobook and exhibition by Ulana Switucha.

Hong Kong–based Canadian photographer Ulana Switucha spent a decade travelling across Japan’s remote landscapes, capturing the country’s most iconic and sacred gateways.

Traditionally placed at shrine entrances, torii mark the transition from the secular to the sacred. Rising from the sea, perched on rocks, or standing amid snow-covered terrain, they embody a reverence for the harmony between humanity, nature, and the Kami — deities believed to dwell within the natural world.

Through minimalism, soft light, and long exposures, Ulana Switucha renders these gates as quiet sentinels within their surroundings, creating ethereal compositions that invite reflection on the harmony between humanity and nature.