This pair of images are a photographic exploration of the moon's mysterious appeal, one that has inspired and captured the curiosity of humanity for millennia. Considering both traditions of romantic European painting and the Japanese practice of moon-viewing, the images provide an intimate reflection on the inexplicable allure of the moon.

Sakura Shibata is a photographer based in Wellington, where these images were taken. Her photographic interests lie in conceptual investigations into our multifaceted connections to place and our environment. Her subject matter includes the historical, mythological and scientific. These themes are analysed through digital and film photography and are inspired by personal explorations and commonplace experiences.

In 2019 Shibata graduated with a Bachelor of Design (Photography) from Massey University, Wellington. That same year she exhibited these images along with others from the series, in a solo show ‘The Fifteenth Night’ at Thomas King Observatory, Wellington.