Born in 1972 in Shiga, Japan, Rinko Kawauchi lives in Chiba. A graduate of Seian University of Art and Design, she became known to a wider Japanese public in 2001 with the simultaneous publication of three books: Utatane, Hanabi, and Hanako. These were followed by other majors works, including "Illuminance" (Éditions Xavier Barral, 2011) and "Halo" (Éditions Xavier Barral, 2016). Her work is now held in major contemporary art collections, including the Fondation Cartier in Paris, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum.