Owakudani is a volcanic valley with active sulfur vents and hot springs in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It was created around 3000 years ago, as a result of the explosion of the Hakone volcano. Although it is a popular tourist site for its scenic views, volcanic activity, and kuro-tamago a local specialty of eggs hard-boiled in the hot springs, most of the area is only accessible by the maintenance team.
Marie Blampain is a conceptual fine art photographer born in 1992 in New Caledonia and currently based in Mexico. Her work is rooted in a studio-based, constructed photographic practice that explores identity, embodiment, and states of transition. Across her projects, existential concerns emerge through familiar situations and the human body, suspending fixed identity and drawing attention to moments of passage, transformation, and becoming. The images she produces are composed with an emphasis on clarity and structure, carefully designed to minimize visual noise and distraction.