Kenji Toma

Kenji Toma has been known to sit through entire production meetings without ever removing his gold mirrored sunglasses. His head is completely shaved, except for a narrow strip of hair that runs from the crown of his head to his forehead, Mohawk-stylegiving him the appearance of a punk Buddhist monk.



Some days, he wears the strip of hair in a ponytail that sticks straight up, adding a samurai flavor to the multicultural coif. Although he moved to New York from his native Japan in 1991, he speaks only a minimum of English.



The 50-something photographer rarely ventures out alone, typically traveling to client meetings with an entourage of three or four people. He always communicates through an interpreter, and his full-time assistants are all native-born Japanese. He eats only Japanese food. His studio manager is his sole American employee hired after Kenji's agent pleaded with him to hire one person who could serve as a bridge to the repping agency, clients, suppliers and the rest of the outside world.



His Chelsea studio, one of the largest still-life studios in New York City, is utilitarian. The all-white space is notable only for the wall of 20-pane, steel-sash windows that provide panoramic views of the Hudson River from the Statue of Liberty to the George Washington Bridge and the bathroom, a meditative hideaway with an unmistakable Asian influence.