mayu kanamori

Mayu Kanamori, was raised in Roppongi, Tokyo where her family still lives. She was educated at the American School in Japan and grew up bilingual in English and Japanese. She migrated to Australia in 1981 and studied philosophy and writing at Toorak College in Melbourne.

Mayu started her career in journalism in 1992 as a researcher and photographer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers' Tokyo Bureau. For the past ten years, Mayu has been working as a freelance photo journalist, writer, radio broadcaster and photo media artist based in Sydney.

As an artist, Mayu employs her experience as a journalist to create multi media art documentaries, working in collaboration with artists from other disciplines, including theatre and installation works. She exhibits her work in galleries and in theatre venues, often as part of arts festivals in Australia and overseas

She is the creator and director of The Heart of the Journey, and has received a commendation for United Nations Media Peace Award Promotion of Multicultural Issues in 2000 for its radio program on ABC Radio National. She is also the recipient of the 2001 Broome NAIDOC Non Indigenous Reconciliation Award for the sound and slide documentary performance The Heart of the Journey. Her radio feature Chika was finalist for 2004 Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism. In 2005, Mayu's digital and photographic works have been chosen as finalist for 2005 Harries National Digital Awards, 2005 Olive Cotton National Photographic Portrait Awards, and 2005 Conrad Jupiter's National Art Prize.

As a photo journalist, Mayu has contributed to a wide range of publications including magazines, newspapers, and news services both Australian and international. Mayu has taken the photographs for six books. She is a member of Sydney based photographic group Broken Bench and is a board member of The Koto Music Institute of Australia.