Category Archives: Japan

Yoshimasa Tsuchiya

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.

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Akiko Iwamoto

             We’ve featured her work before on our old blog but we feel her beautiful work is worth a revisit.                    Artisan Akiko Iwamoto learned textile dyed silk weaving at the Museum of Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Her colorful products are all hand made with dyed, split woven and sewn cotton cloth, which have been exhibited on several important venues.

You can follow the artist on her blog and also on Instagram.

Images: Courtesy of Akiko Iwamoto.

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Patchwork Store

Always on the lookout for a fun project and found these great quilted patchwork coasters. The front of the coasters has a patchwork design and the back utilizes a coordinating fabric. The edge appears to have a zig zag stitch. We have no information on the creator except that they are sold under the name, “Patchwork Store”. You can find them in the Japanese handmade markets, Iichi and Tetote-Market.

Images: Courtesy of Patchwork Store.

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