Toru Fukuda creates works by combining scenes from nature with traditional crafts, his aim is to explore the ways that Japanese culture’s affinity with nature have led to a unique aesthetic sensitivity.
Mushikago (Insect Cage)
2021
20×12.3×15.8 cm
tulipwood, wild cherry wood, Japanese horse-chestnut, ebony, red sanders, walnut, African blackwood
As I have observed various life forms in their natural habitats, I have thought more and more about the distance that lies between humans and nature, and when I consider what it is that makes nature so attractive for humans, my mind turns to memories from childhood.
Surely, there are many who can recall running across fields and mountains as a child, carrying a box for catching insects hung from their shoulders. In these moments, bugs, flowers and even stones were seen as treasures and placed carefully inside to be observed through the bars of the cage. It is my belief that such experiences share a link with the viewing of artworks as an adult.
This piece, “Mushikago”, is an insect cage that has been built in the style of traditional crafts. It was created as a symbol of the affinity Japanese people have for nature and the ways that nature has impacted the culture’s aesthetic. The beetle inside the cage is imbued with the natural presence and dignity of the real insect. By observing and appreciating it in this setting, it is my hope that viewers will gain a new understanding of the way that life amid nature has led to the cultivation of the Japanese sense of beauty.
24/07/2021(sat) - 06/08/2021(fri)
11:00-17:00※ Open by appointment only.
※ Closed on Sundays and holidays.
Please contact us from here for appointment and any further enquiries.