Mari Sarai is a Japanese fashion and fine art photographer and director living Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with her son and husband. Sarai was born in Nara, Japan and has worked in New York, London, and Tokyo. After beginning her career as a photojournalist in New York, Sarai moved back to Japan and transitioned to fashion photography. After six years she she relocated to London where she became a well-established fashion photographer. She moved back to New York to seek her American dream. Her work appearing in likes of Interview Magazine, Document Journal and KANGOL, shooting likes of Adele, Scarlett Johansson, and the late Amy Winehouse. Sarai has published multiple books.
I met Mari through a stylist friend and we reconnected years later and shared our experiences of going through breast cancer. I was inspired to hear how she channeled her experiences into a creative project, you can see her work here.
How did you get diagnosed with breast cancer?
I went to annual health checkup and annual mammogram test as normal day. Then we found out that I have a couple tiny cancers in my right breast. All happened in end of 2019.
How was the treatment for you?
We decided really fast to have a breast amputation [mastectomy] and a belly fat transplant to rebuild my right breast. We found out that there were 4 tiny cancers in my right breast after the surgery.. we had no idea…!
Did you work all the way through?
Yes I was working through as a photographer and exercising as a muay-thai kick boxing till the day before the operation, a time when I had no symptoms or pain at all. Seriously I would never knew till now if I didn’t go to my annual mammogram check up that day.
Did you tell people what was going on for you?
Yes I have told my husband right away and called all my close friends to come over to my house and talked about it.
Some gave me a good advice. So important to feel that I have a good friends and family specially on those hard time. But the more people you talk to, the more opinions come back, so I got annoyed, some advice confused me too...
Did you document what was going on during your treatment through photography?
A, Haha YES I did! I photographed every step for the recovering. My friend shot my naked a couple months after the surgery as well.
My cancer treatment was well documented.
What role did work and creativity play in your recovery?
I was going to write a book about my life with this experience to encourage all the women as being as a breast cancer survivor and kind of a missioner.
I was going to work on the breast cancer women’s project for my new photo project but I didn’t. I felt it’s too heavy and sad to pick this subject during the covid time. It was already chaos and disaster out there.
I didn’t want to add one more serious hard book to the world. So I decided to photograph on the street of NYC instead. I saw everyone was just trying to enjoy their lives. Their energy, to me, all read of that strong, positive attitude. I had the chance to capture moments of rebirth and rebuilding - of those who survived, and those who didn’t give up. This spirit and resilience is something I will forever treasure, and will forever find myself inspired by. I learned through myself experienced. I published this attached book “SEPT.2020 NYC” for my kind of recovery creation!
https://www.saraimari.com/
Disclosing what was going on for me brought me a lot closer to friends and community, and I’m finding even now with this October project, that it’s giving me a bigger sense of community. How has that been for you, both during your treatment and in the years since?
Yes I feel same as well. The experience brought me more meaningful friends and community. I am really happy to get to know you and joined this project.
I would love to contribute more on breast cancer women’s community if I have a chance.
It takes incredible strength to get through treatment, do you feel that this has changed the way that you view life and work?
Yes and No. Yes I started listening to my body but it’s so easy to forget what happened and I live as same all as before. Less drinking!
Is there a sense of empowerment now that wasn’t as strong before? How does that translate into your life?
Yes women has a bigger voice than before. There are so many more places and community to share our thoughts and experiences which we have been hiding and holding ourselves before.
Was there advice from friends and family etc that helped you get through your journey?
Yes so many supports and advices from my friends and family. It was great help for my journey. I couldn’t stay strong without it.
How do you feel about the idea that cancer may have left a positive mark or impact on your life?
There is always strong message and meaning to anything that happens in your life. It was my wakeup call from the scream in of my body and my heart. I started thinking about being a women more. I try to contemplate what women is like and what women can do after this experience as a mother.
What would she tell people who just got diagnosed or have a friend who has just gotten diagnosed?
Just empathize with her. I’ll stand by what she needs. I would encourage her and tell her that she is not alone.
