Kazuhito Shibue was born in 1960 in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture and grew up in Kurashiki (Hiroshima). He worked as a magazine editor, followed by a photo studio until eventually becoming a professional photographer himself.

In his introduction Thick Clouds, Curl Up and Sleep to the current show at Gallery E&M (until 18 Apr 2010) he writes:

In 1993, when the bubble economy in Japan was about to burst, I could not figure out the relation between my professionally taken photos and my personal photos and decided to leave Japan.
There was no specific reason for this choice, but I went to Paris and ended up in the 18th Arrondissement where the cost of living is not very high. It is an area where many immigrants live and rather chaotic, reminiscent of cities in Asia.
I did not take any photos but just walked around Paris for 10-20 kilometers a day. During the second year I walked towards the outskirts of town, returning at night. At that time there were still old cars driving, and sometimes a tire would come off a passing car and to avoid it I had to jump on a narrow path filled with dog turds. I saw many old buildings being demolished at the same time. This was the flow of time in front of me. Some things have gone, others disappear and what remains?
Paris and my photography dilemma existed side by side, irrelevant to each other.