Tokyo-based photographer Natsumi Hayashi is known as the "levitation girl." She became an internet sensation over the past year with her "Today's Levitation" series, a self-portrait project consisting exclusively of images that capture her in mid-air, usually against an everyday urban backdrop.
Inspired by her stated intent to challenge the English-language expression "to have one's feet firmly planted on the ground," Hayashi's images evoke a sense of playfulness and whimsicality. As a contemporary art project, the levitation series also seeks to explore the idea of truth in viewers' perceptions — because while these photos show the photographer posed serenely in space, during her process Hayashi sometimes needs to jump a few hundred times in order to get the perfect shot.
We reached out to Hayashi through email to find out more about her levitation project.