This week I was delighted to discover the work of photographer Alexandra Huddleston. For a number of years I have wanted to walk the 88 temple Pilgrimage on the island of Shikoku in Japan, so I was excited to discover a photographer who had done it. In 2010 Huddleston walked the entire 800 miles as a pilgrim. To complete the trail pilgrims worship at each of the 88 temples following a route that loosely follows the 9th-century Buddhist saint Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi). This was the second pilgrimage for the photographer (after the Camino de Santiago). The work, which was published as a book called East or West: A Walking Journey Along Shikoku’s 88 Temple Pilgrimage, includes a series of journal entries that account for some of the tribulations as well as the joys of the experience.
To discover more of Alexandra Huddlestons work you can visit her website here and you can purchase the book here.
PHOTOWALK 