Photobook dummy by Lieh Sugai (Japan), shortlisted for the Dummy Award 2026. Kaikou, meaning encounter in Japanese, is a tactile extension of the series, bringing together photographic images and chemigrams to trace a quiet, introspective journey through memory, displacement and the search for home. Crafted with Japanese washi paper and bound by hand, it weaves elements of the photographer's heritage into an intimate, contemplative object. The series documents an exploration of memory, identity and the concept of home, reconciling life between two homes, Japan and America. It emerged over several years during a period of separation from Japan, when the photographer sought out subjects in America that resonated with memories of the homeland, using light and shadow to capture fragments of recollection. Film photography is blended with historical processes such as the chemigram, shaping light, chemicals and photographic paper into organic, textured visuals that reflect fragmented, shifting recollections, nostalgia and impermanence. The Dummy Award, organised by the PhotoBookMuseum in Cologne, shortlisted 48 unpublished dummies from about 325 entries from more than 45 countries; the shortlist travels on a world tour of photography events and venues.