Japanese sculptor Yoshimasa Tsuchiya creates these simple life-size creatures with hush tones giving off an elegant and mysterious aura. The sculpting process start with raw wood blocks carved with power tools which are then shaped, joined together then hand carved for the final details. Plaster and paint is then used to finish off the pieces. The artist is inpired by Japanese folklore, myths and dreams. On Lomography he says this about  mythology:

“I think that mythology is a series of allegorical stories referring the origin of a group of people. 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.”

And on Cargo Collective says this about his chosen medium:

“In Japan, most of traditional buildings and sculptures are made of wood. Wood is a material which breath. It has own age, own viability. I studied these kind of traditional techniques in a graduate school of operative dentistry of cultural assets. I receive some inspirations from an old tale, a myth, a legend and my dream. The figure of my animals is a materialization of human hope, mind and heart.”

Images: Courtesy of Yoshimasa Tsuchiya.

Save