Meditation

About

From Saturday, May 30, until Sunday, June 14, 2015, Jaski Gallery presented Yoshimasa Tsuchiya. For the first time, this famous Japanese sculpturist showed his intriguing works in The Netherlands. His exhibition ‘Meditation’ was officially opened on Saturday, May 30. Yoshimasa Tsuchiya was present himself.

YOSHIMASA TSUCHIYA WORKS WITH WOOD TO CREATE LIFE-SIZE MAJESTIC CREATURES CONJURED BY HIS IMAGINATION. HE GRADUATED FROM THE TOKYO UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS MAJORING IN WOODCARVING AND AFTER FOUR YEARS, HE COMPLETED HIS DOCTORATE DEGREE IN 2007. FOR ONE OF HIS PROJECTS, HE DECIDED TO CREATE LIFE-SIZE SCULPTURES OF VARIOUS MYTHICAL BEINGS FROM JAPANESE FOLKLORE. SOME OF THE CREATURES THAT HE CREATES ARE ALSO INSPIRED BY HIS OWN DREAMS. THE SCULPTURES ARE SIMPLE YET THEY GIVE OFF A CERTAIN MYSTERY. THE SERIES CHALLENGES VIEWERS TO EXAMINE THEIR OWN PRIVATE MYTHS WHEN VIEWING THE SCULPTURES.

THE VERY POPULAR JAPANSE SCULPTURIST, BORN IN 1977 IN KANAGAWA, GOES THROUGH A RIGOROUS PROCESS TO COMPLETE A SCULPTURE. A TEMPLATE IS FIRST CREATED AND THEN FITTED ON A BLOCK OF WOOD. AFTERWARDS, A SAW WILL BE USED TO REMOVE THE EXCESS WOOD – THIS IS WHERE THE SCULPTURE TAKES SHAPE. AFTER MORE CARVINGS AND SCULPTING, THE PIECE OF WOOD IS THEN SANDED TO SMOOTH OUT THE SURFACE. PLASTER AND PAINT IS THEN USED TO FINISH THE PIECE OF ART.

“I THINK THAT MYTHOLOGY IS A SERIES OF ALLEGORICAL STORIES REFERRING THE ORIGIN OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE”, SAYS YOSHIMASA TSUCHIYA. “REGARDLESS THE HISTORICAL FACTS, MYTHOLOGIES ARE ALWAYS TAKEN OVER FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION SO THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR CONNECTIONS TO EACH OTHER. AND I BELIEVE THAT IT EVEN EXISTS IN OUR PRIVATE RELATIONSHIPS.”

The Artist

The popular Japanese sculptor Yoshimasa Tsuchiya works with wood to create life-sized majestic creatures of the imagination. After graduating from Tokyo’s University of the Arts with a major in woodcarving, he completed his doctorate in 2007. As one of his projects he decided to create life-sized sculptures of various mythical beings from Japanese folklore. Some of the creatures that he creates are also inspired by his own dreams. His sculptures are simple, yet exude a certain mystery. The series challenges viewers to examine their own private myths.

Tsuchiya’s sculptures are created through a rigorous process. The sculptor first makes a template which is fitted onto a block of wood. Using a saw he cuts away the excess to create the basic shape. Then the intricate process of carving and sculpting begins before the wood is sanded to smooth out the surface. Plaster and paint is then applied to finish the piece of art.

Explaining the key role mythology plays in his work, Yoshimasa Tsuchiya points to its allegorical function around group origins and identity. ‘Regardless of historical facts, mythologies are passed down from generation to generation, enabling us to maintain our connections with one another,’ he says. ‘I believe that mythology even exists in our private relationships.’