Yoshihiro Makino was born and raised in Tokyo, where the urban environment and eclectic culture both informed and inspired his photography path. 

Yoshi is drawn to cultural co-influences in design seen between Japan and other countries.  Most notably exemplified by early twentieth century architects, such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, who were clearly influenced by Japanese culture such legendary architects strongly influenced modern Japanese design as well weaving in noble qualities from various cultures. Commonalities such as this led him to do a project on Antonin Raymond, who spent most of his life in Japan and designed a Japan-style farmhouse in Pennsylvania due to Wright’s influence. Yoshi’s recently published book ‘The Open Hand: Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh’ is a photographic essay on the modernist architect Le Corbusier’s Capitol Complex at Chandigarh, India, which remains one of the major touchstones of 20th-century architecture.  

These interwoven connections were clearly demonstrated in Yoshi’s recent collaboration with Cereal Magazine. As of late, he also teamed up with Ace Hotel Kyoto by Commune Design and Kengo Kumanew on the hotel’s first location in Kyoto, capturing a range of featured spaces.

Currently residing in Los Angeles, his work takes him around the world capturing interiors and portraits for a vast array of editorial, private, and commercial clients.

His clients include Architectural Digest, NY Times, T Mag, The Wall Street Journal, Four Seasons Hotels, Leading Hotels of the World,  Vince, Palm Springs Art Museum, Blue Bottle Coffee, Travel and Leisure, InterContinental Hotels Group, Departures, Ace Hotel, Commune Design, Studio Shamshiri, Christie’s, Domino, Lawson Fenning, Hotels.com, Cereal, ATRA Forms, Atelier DeTroupe, Bestor Architecture, And And And Studio, The Future Perfect, Dwell, and Wallpaper*

 

Publication

THE OPEN HAND

Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh
A Photographic Essay by Yoshihiro Makino
Edited and Designed by Tamotsu Yagi

The modernist architect Le Corbusier’s Capitol Complex at Chandigarh, India, remains one of the major touchstones of 20th-century architecture. Commissioned by the government of India after gaining independence, the complex of brutalist concrete structures has become a pilgrimage site for architecture lovers and scholars for the past six decades.

These structures have been photographed many times, but Japanese photographer Yoshihiro Makino takes a different approach. Rather than documenting the buildings, Makino’s photographs are meditations on the architects’ objectives for the new city, and intended to be portraits of the architecture. Taking its name from Le Corbusier’s monument for Chandigarh, The Open Hand— which symbolizes “the unity of mankind… open to give and open to receive.”—this publication is a visual metaphor for the unfolding experience of the Chandigarh.

Composed of two accordion folded books in a slipcase, these saturated and poetic images evoke Le Corbusier’s intention that his buildings are both a metaphor of a free society, and also the means to achieve that freedom.

“The Open Hand” Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh
A photographic essay by Yoshihiro Makino – Autographed

Publication

A GARDEN CAN BE ANYWHERE: CREATING BOUNTIFUL AND BEAUTIFUL EDIBLE GARDENS

Edible Gardens LA founder Lauri Kranz shares her secrets for planning, planting, growing, and maintaining luscious edible gardens, no matter the setting or size of the plot. Through gorgeous gardens created for her well-known clientele, including James Beard award-winning chefs, celebrities, rock stars, and more, Lauri shares her essential methods for growing abundant organic food. This practical guide is built around Lauri’s philosophy that nourishment and beauty are not separate goals. It’s also at the forefront of a gardening revolution, where more and more people are craving a patch of land for growing and the trend is toward edible gardens over ornamental gardens. A Garden Can Be Anywhere reveals Lauri’s knack for providing both beauty and bounty in her clients’ outdoor spaces.

Publication

ELLISON MEDICAL INSTITUTE ART BOOK

What interested me most was not simply the art collection itself, but the way art quietly transforms the daily experience of patients, researchers, clinicians, and families.

During my time photographing the Ellison Medical Institute, I became fascinated by how art, architecture, science, and human experience coexist within a single environment. Throughout the building, works by Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Robert Indiana, Jeff Koons, Pablo Picasso, Tim Rollins, and many others are integrated into spaces dedicated to discovery, healing, and hope.

The Ellison Medical Institute Art Book offers a rare look inside the Institute in Los Angeles, where researchers, clinicians, patients, and their families move through everyday spaces shaped by both scientific precision and artistic vision. Designed not only for discovery, but also for reflection, comfort, and hope, the Institute presents a unique environment where creativity and medicine work hand in hand.

Featuring works by influential artists including Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Robert Indiana, Jeff Koons, Pablo Picasso, and Tim Rollins, the collection highlights the powerful intersection of creativity and medicine. Each piece is intentionally placed to elevate the human experience, encourage new ways of thinking, and support an environment where innovation and care can thrive. At the Institute, art is lived with daily, serving as inspiration and a reminder of the humanity behind the work to confront cancer.

This book became an opportunity to document not only a remarkable collection of artworks, but also the atmosphere and purpose of a place committed to advancing human health.

For collectors, it offers a rare view of a world-class collection. For those interested in science and medicine, it provides insight into a pioneering institution shaping the future of healthcare. For all readers, it offers a deeper connection to the Institute’s mission.

Photographed by Yoshihiro Makino and published in collaboration with Nazraeli Press, this beautifully printed edition is limited to 1,000 copies.

• Limited to 1,000 copies
• Photography by Yoshihiro Makino
• Published in collaboration with Nazraeli Press
• Hardcover, premium print quality (10.25 x 13.5 inches, 112 pages, 65 four-color plates)

This project is dedicated to the patients who remain at the center of everything the Institute does.

All proceeds support cancer research and preventive medicine programs at the Ellison Medical Institute, ensuring that this collection not only inspires, but also advances care and improves lives.