Miho Suzuki: Snow Monkey with a Stumpy Tail
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Miho Suzuki: Snow Monkey with a Stumpy Tail
DESCRIPTION
Miho Suzuki, Snow Monkey with a Stumpy Tail, 2025, 10×8″, Archival pigment ink print, Artist Proof
My photograph reflects the concept of “monkey as a mirror just like us” by focusing on the similarities between human and animal behavior, identity, and influence of the Japanese folk tale.
Monkeys share anatomical and behavioral similarities with humans, including complex social structures, communication, social learning, and the display of emotional responses like compassion and empathy.
In Japanese culture, the monkey has historically functioned as a symbolic mediator between humans and the supernatural, often prompting humans to reflect on their own nature and role in the world. Over time, this image evolved, and the monkey became a figure of mockery in art, literature, and folktales, representing the foolish attempts of humans to act civilized.
Folktale: The Story of the Fishing Monkey
Long time ago, monkeys used to have tails that were thirty-three fathoms long. One day, a clever bear (or sometimes another character otter) tricked the monkey into thinking there was an easy way to catch many fish at once. The bear’s advice was simple: on a very cold, icy night, the monkey should find a deep spot in a frozen river or lake, drill a small hole, and dip his long tail into the water. “The fish will bite your tail,” the bear promised, “and all you have to do is wait for a heavy tug to pull them out”.
The monkey, eager for a big catch, followed the bear’s instructions. Despite the freezing cold, he sat patiently with his tail in the water, waiting for a bite. He waited for so long that he dozed off. As time passed, the surface of the lake froze over again, trapping the monkey’s tail firmly in the ice. The monkey awoke with a start, feeling something tugging at his tail. Delighted, he thought he had caught a massive fish and pulled with all his might. He pulled harder, but the ice held fast. With a sudden, loud “Pof!” the monkey’s tail broke in half.
The poor animal, numbed by the cold, had not realized his tail had been encircled by the ice.
Ashamed and frozen, the monkey ran to the closest hot spring, hoping to hide his misfortune behind the thick mist of steaming waters. And, since then, mountain monkeys have red faces, short tails and spend their winter days soaking in hot baths.
Value: $600
Starting Bid: $180
Miho Suzuki is originally from Japan, came to the US with a scholarship. Suzuki studied film and media arts and received her MFA in Photography and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts. Her photographs, video, and installations have been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United States and Europe. Suzuki’s artistic obsession with the camera started very young. She broke her aunt’s SLR camera lens at age eight. At eleven Suzuki was so eager to photograph her dog and cats that she compiled photo books for them.
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