Toru Fukuda

Autumn Colors, 2019

Ebony, Chinese quince, apanese bigleaf magnolia, Tulip tree, Elm (Jindai-nire), Camphor tree, Japanese Pagoda tree, Hiba, Katsura, Walnut, Sycamore, Pau amarello, Yellowheart, Satine, Imbuia

6.7 x 11.8 x 4.7 inches (17 × 30 × 12 cm)

Photo by GION

SEIZAN Gallery New York is pleased to announce PURE POETRY, an exhibition of Japanese artists Toru Fukuda and Takashi Seto, opening Thursday, November 5, 2020. 

As this unprecedented time continues to unfold, we invite you to visit us and give your eyes and mind a restorative pause. The beauty of nature is captured by Fukuda and Seto, two artists deeply committed to traditional techniques of art making. 

Toru Fukuda began developing his unique wood sculpting technique very early while still in high school. He combines “zogan” Japanese inlay with natural wood elements and his imagination to create life-sized, free-standing sculptures of insects and plants. Meticulously blending craft and art, Fukuda deeply explores wood’s natural hues and textures, utilizing unpainted wood from naturally growing trees to create his pieces. This intensely laborious process captures the details and spirit of its subjects.  An effective illusion is created so that the insects appear to be alive and momentarily alighted on their elegantly carved bases before taking flight once more. 

Takashi Seto is an artist, artisan and independent researcher of “Yuzen,” a centuries old resist-dyeing technique developed to create meticulous patterns on kimono fabric. Seto studies 17th century dyer’s manuals, aspiring to revive long-forgotten methods of luxury textiles. The artist's passionate expertise is transformed into art and gives tradition a new life. “Time” is a key concept of his works. Seto works only with century-old materials such as silk, gold leaf, silver leaf and urushi lacquer. These materials patinate slowly over time. As the change occurs the artwork reflects the environment the work is in. Seto’s art is a reminder that history is simply an accumulation of everyday lives. 

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