Statue of Danjo kongou marebito

　I've been making Drag Queen sculptures as parodies of Buddha statues for the past few years. As a result, people began to visit local Buddha statues in various eras. Above all, I was struck by the private Buddha I met in my hometown, Tohoku.

　The private Buddha, made by farmers and carpenters, had a simple and powerful appearance. Many lives were lost in the harsh natural environment, and the people of Tohoku were only able to pray. When I learned about the background that had been carved out of a sense of refreshment, the images of people living hard overlapped.

　From there, I wanted to carve the brilliance of people who live powerfully in adversity as wood carvings and prints.

　In recent years, the actual Drag Queen was used as a model, and while facing each other, I became aware not only of the beautiful parts, but also of the human parts and the parts that are shadows. (No model was set for this work.) As a result, the expression of the work became emotional, and the carving became rough. Of course, the pose grew in size, and it changed to a more powerful expression. I think that figure is closer to that of a god than a Buddha statue.

　It was created under the influence of “Buddha statues with machete carvings” that exist in the Tohoku region. A machete carved Buddha statue with uniform marks applied to the garment. While the statue stands quietly, it is wearing the strength of the ruins. I felt the power of Tohoku, the Ainu, and the older Jomon period in that expression.

　This work left uniform marks on clothing entwined with the body, and contrasts due to line engravings and patterns were also engraved on the body part. The body, which became thin and flat in order to effectively show the scar mark, mixed with the scar mark at the boundary of space, and seemed to go back and forth between the plane and the three dimensions. Man and woman, Buddha and demon, stillness and motion, plane and three-dimensional. I want to encapsulate conflicting things at the same time and sculpt the “human figure” behind characteristics and titles, starting with gender, through beings that come and go freely.

2025. Camphor. Wood Carving (Parquet). H235.W140.D45 cm

[Photos]

From the solo exhibition hall

“Face and Soul Are Hard - Terrify Modern People”

Planning: gallery ayatsumugi 

Venue: EARTH + GALLERY

Period: 2024.12.13 [Fri] to 12.22 [Sun]