About

After studying photojournalism in the University of Missouri, Columbia for 4 years, Ikuru Kuwajima lived in Romania and then Ukraine for three years. Then, he moved to central Asia in 2010 and is now based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, working on documentary photography projects, as well as commercial/editorial assignments. He’s fluent in Japanese, English and Russian. 
He has been participating in a photography masterclass called the Reflexion Masterclass in Europe since 2011.

Awards:

2012 The Best of Photojournalism – Second Place in Non-Traditional Photojournalism Publishing
2010 Fujifilm Distinction Awards  - First Place
2009, 2010 Picture of the Year International – Honorable mentions in Portrait category
2008, 2009 Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar – Honorable mentions in News Story and Portrait category (2008)
- Second Place in Feature Story category (2009)
2009 5th China International Press Photo Contest – Silver prize in Portrait & People in the News
2008 Ueno Hikoma Prize (Japan) – Honorable mention
2008 Hearst Championship  -  Finalist
2007 College Photographer of the Year – Bronze in International Picture Story category

Published/Clients
Newsweek Japan,  Forbes Magazine, Getty Images, McGarryBowen, Save the Children, Russian Reporter, Bit, Steppe Magazine, Eurasianet, National Geographic Japan and Romania, Asahi Journalism, Courrier Japon, Sekai, Daily Telegraph, Frankfurter Allgemeine.

Exhibition
Group Shows: Noorderlicht Metropolis – City Life in the Urban Age (2011), Art of Photography Show 2009 (USA), HOLGA grafie 2010 (Germany), MIO Photo Awards 2009 (Japan)