In my work I look for beauty in scenes that evoke a sense of nostalgia and timelessness, two elements that I believe are fundamental to all of my photography.

In early 2016, I went on a day trip to a town in Upstate New York. While walking I saw a big house that reminded me of a doll house I used to play with when I was a small child in Japan. Much like when I was a child, I imagined the lives of people passing through this house, but now as an adult, I also imagined all of the past and future lives that would play out in it through time. I experienced a strong sense of deja vu that seemed to stretch from my own present moment towards both my past and my future.

That experience inspired me to shoot this series. Following my trip to Upstate New York, I used Google Maps to plan trips to other small towns near New York City where I thought I would find similar houses. I only used my camera to capture those houses that I felt I had seen before and that invoked in me a strong feeling of déjà vu.

All images ©Sayuri Ichida