At night we roll

Den här artikeln är ett tips från en läsare.

BIO:

Niklas Nille Samuelson was born in 1973. 

He has a 20-year background as a tattoo artist and a long association with visual arts in the form of photography, painting and mixed media.

He has attended Atelier Smedsby by JH Engström and Margot Wallard. 

Samuelson’s work often searches for the interpersonal relationships within subculture through photography.

Having visited Japan many times he became specifically interested in the Japanese biker culture whose rules and codes differ from elsewhere in the world. 

He continues to seek them out.

He lives and works in Södermanland and is an avid biker.

DESCRIPTION:

AT NIGHT WE ROLL
 
In Japan, when someone is part of a subculture, it becomes a large and important part of their life. I have always been fascinated with this dedication, and the way it brings people together. 

The Japanese biker subculture appealed to me in particular, as I ride motorcycles myself. It is admirable how many hours these bikers spend in the garage - giving their motorcycle the perfect look and making the engine run smoothly even though it’s fifty years old – or choosing clothes that fit the era when their motorcycle was built. The rider and the motorcycle almost become one.
 

People ride together, discuss, swap parts, help each other, and hang out. However, it is a closed community that doesn’t let just anybody in. But if you are accepted, you become part of the family.
 
I was allowed into this hidden world with a camera. It resulted in these photos where you see riders in the Tokyo and Yokohama area cruising together in the middle of the night. 

Japan has a law that stops riders with powerful engines riding on express highways during certain hours of the day. Because of this, gatherings like these often take place at night so that they can be free from interruptions. 

I saw as many as 130 riders riding together, two of which were women.
 

I hope to return to continue documenting the biker culture in Japan.