Kazuaki Ono’s picture exhibition Southern Crust melds Australian surroundings with our bakery tradition

Most individuals put bread on their plate, however Sydney photographer Kazuaki Ono has positioned a spelt loaf in Western Australia’s Pinnacles desert, fig-leaf sourdough on Sydney’s Bondi seaside and sprouted rye by Tasmania’s Huon River.

For his Southern Crust undertaking, he visited 24 Australian bakeries to seize our distinctive bread tradition, evading red-bellied black snakes, driving excessive distances for baked items and finally carrying 30 kilograms of loaves house.

The concept for Southern Crust started in May final yr, when Ono was requested to take part in a Tokyo exhibition scheduled for October 2025.

The idea merges his expertise as an skilled industrial photographer with the very fact he additionally shapes loaves — he is been operating Sydney’s Akipan bakery with spouse Kana since early 2023. 

Southern Crust additionally conveys to a world viewers that there is extra to Australian bread than avocado toast.

Families incomes a crust

As Ono researched his undertaking, he determined to deal with small, family-run companies important to their area people.

“Because I am myself an owner and head baker, I was warmly welcomed wherever I went,” he says.

In South Australia’s Barossa Valley, he met the household behind the fourth-generation Apex Bakery. 

Its wood-fired oven has frequently fired loaves for a century — making it a contender for Australia’s historical past books. Ono photographed their 1924 sourdough, which is made with a slow-ferment recipe as previous because the enterprise itself.

When Ono picked up the large Epooro loaf from Shady Wasef’s Pioik bakery (situated minutes away from Ono’s Akipan), the photographer knew he needed to discover a backdrop that did it justice.

Ono headed to the Blue Mountains with Lincoln’s Rock in thoughts. 

Because the scenic lookout was so windy, he ended up photographing the loaf in a hidden spot below Lincoln’s Rock — shifting positions because the climate and solar’s route modified. 

“I spent maybe … five hours here,” he says.

When bread mimics life

Some pictures took even longer to nail. 

On the NSW South Coast he needed to name house and clarify he’d be spending an additional night time in a motel. 

“I couldn’t find a good spot,” he says. 

Holding out for the fitting backdrop paid off, although. 

When he propped up Honorbread’s fougasse at Camel Rock, the traditional geological formations complemented the seed-crusted flatbreads completely.

Was he anxious about seaside waves knocking over his fougasse, although? He laughs and admits the six-hour shoot did contain an unwelcome presence: a red-bellied black snake slithering via. 

“It was scary,” Ono says.

It required an eight-hour drive from Perth to get to Western Australia’s Twilight Beach Jump rock, the place he positioned a home loaf and oat sourdough from Bread Local for a shoot. 

The lengthy hours behind the wheel have been value it — this was his “favourite” spot.

His portrait of Organic Bread Bar’s pretzel croissant was achieved domestically: the pastry’s laminated swirls cleverly echoing the Sydney Opera House in view. 

But dragging 5 baggage of bread and digicam gear was essential to excellent it.

The photographer solely dropped two loaves whereas crisscrossing Australia for his shoot. 

Everything else, he saved. 

“I can’t throw the bread [away],” he says, significantly as a baker. 

His spouse nonetheless remembers him returning with a suitcase stuffed with loaves close to the undertaking’s finish. 

From Sydney to Tokyo

Southern Crust showcases quite a lot of artisanal baking types, from futuristic-looking croissants by Melbourne’s Dröm Bakery to sourdough pressed with fig leaf from Sydney’s Cherry Moon General Store. 

It additionally celebrates Australia’s wildly various landscapes: from Western Australia’s surreal Pinnacles Desert (with yellow rocks resembling Wild Bakery’s seedy spelt loaf) and Bombo Headland Quarry’s sci-fi moonscape formations in New South Wales, the place chilli-oil fougasse from Kiama’s Slow Dough creates a hanging presence towards the rocks.

When Ono confirmed Southern Crust to Tokyo audiences in October, his motivation wasn’t completely bread-inspired. 

“That’s the point.”

While the exhibition drew pals he hadn’t seen in 44 years, Southern Crust meant quite a bit to Ono in different methods. 

Across Australia, he noticed how small bakeries functioned “as a community hub” in cities. 

Connecting with bakers was additionally invaluable: they requested him about shokupan, the Japanese bread through which his bakery specialises, but in addition shared ideas about fermentation, shaping and different considerations of the commerce. 

“Now, they know me and they know Akipan. I’m pretty lucky in the industry,” Ono says. 

Because he is solely been professionally baking for 3 years, it felt particular to have their respect.

Although the Tokyo exhibition wrapped by October’s finish, Ono desires to make Southern Crust accessible to wider audiences — past the website and social media account.

“One year ago, I thought it was just a photo exhibition. But after that, I feel I have to continue this creation,” he says. 

Ono will hold photographing bakeries and maybe even stage an exhibition right here. 

“I have to show these things for the Australian audience,” he says.