It’s hard not to picture an indulgent Insta #THOTTIE when you hear the phrase “selfie queen.” But in Japan, a hilarious (and sometimes hilariously morbid) 90-year-old photographer named Kimiko Nishimoto is gaining a social media following any millennial would envy. Her most popular self-portraits on Instagram (@kimiko_nishimoto) are also her most maudlin: crushed by a wayward vehicle; levitating while making alms to dead relatives; bagged on the street with the week’s recycling.
Nishimoto’s satirical take on death and old age sweetly contrasts with the experimental nature of her editing techniques. And online, she also experiments out loud, captioning her photos with phrases like, “I shouldna touched the original eh?” referring to a confused set of rose petals and coffee stains, and “It’s pretty but pretty awful to the touch” when capturing a beautiful but thorny rose. Check out Nishimoto’s bestselling photo book, You Ain’t Alone (Hitori Jyanakayo),at amazon.co.jp.
By Anne Ishii
Photos via @kimiko—nishimoto
This article originally appeared in the August/September 2018 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
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