The leaves of aquatic plants were swaying in the water. The lights and shadows created by the trees invite them into an enchanting world. The reason why the leaves look like flowers is probably because spring has come.
Giant cercidiphyllum japonicum with a trunk circumference of 15 m. There's a large trunk in the center, and many trunks gather around it, creating a unique atmosphere.
I felt a great new possibility in the way my sculpture was represented, and I couldn't help but thank this tree.
There was a part where the two giant trees were slightly in contact with each branch. They live in a small shrine in a densely populated city. I saw it and felt like they were helping each other.
In order to represent the spring breeze, I tried to devise how to use the brush tip.
Trees affected by the eruption of an active volcano about 100 years ago. I approached one of them. I was overwhelmed by its presence and was also fascinated by the arrangement of its branches. I deliberately chose the shimmering foliage of the shrub as the foreground.
In a dim and humid forest.
I caught my eye on one hollow attached to the side of the thick trunk of the giant tree. In the hollow, several kinds of moss grew abundantly, and small cute mushrooms lived. I felt it was like a small forest.
The next morning after heavy rain.
In the deep forest.
The morning light finally came in, and morning mist and coniferous trees appeared on the pond. The mist drifting slowly was so mysterious and breathtakingly beautiful.
Tree with dancing branches. The dull grayish brown color of magnolia wood is a beauty with a unique taste. It fascinated me when I started carving, puzzled me while I was carving, worried me while I was photographing it, and surprised me when I looked at the photos I had taken.
It was a leaf with only the veins remaining, but the impression made was so different depending on the light behind it. I'm obsessed with looking for light in the forest.
The movement and brilliance of water created by the waves. It divided the edge of the surf into two worlds. When I stood on that boundary, I felt like I was guided by its brilliance. What is waiting beyond the light?
Frost that fell in the early morning when it cooled rapidly, and fern plants that shine golden. I haven't been very interested in fern until now, but I learned from a book I recently read that it is the earliest plant born on Earth, except for lichens and other fungi.
At first, I felt the wood was very large for my hands. When wood is this thick, it tends to crack when it dries, which limits the parts that can be used for carving. I carved while feeling deeply grateful for the connection that brought this Japanese cypress 'hinoki' to me.
I encountered a strange beech tree in the primeval forest. There are many bumps on the branches, not on the trunk. I have seen many beech trees, but it is the first beech tree with such bumps.
It may because of illness, but I don't know how it came to be like that.
I had never been laid back in this park because it's always visited by a lot of people. However, there are few people today and I spent time there slowly. There were many trees that were unexpectedly attractive. I encountered trees who I want to meet again and again.
Among the stag beetles, the Miyama Stag Beetle which people rarely see lives in deep forests. At that time, it was already the place where the light of the sun did not reach. He would have been inconspicuous if not for the gray trunk of beech tree with white lichen.
Beautiful diffused light.
It was the light that was generated because bad weather was expected a few hours later and thick clouds gradually spread.
As I watched the fantastic series of ridges surrounded by the gentle light, I felt as if I were in a dream.
A mountain named after a hat worn by men in Japan 1200 years ago. I turned around after passing its characteristically shaped summit of columnar granite. The appearance of clouds containing a lot of water vapor rising up one after another made me feel awe of the mountain.
I came across a plum tree with beautiful overlapping petals. The intensity of the gorgeous color varies depending on how they overlap. Their fascination and loveliness gripped my heart.
Small mushrooms like jewels in the bamboo forest. Recently, I have learned that even in bamboo groves fascinating plants and mushrooms can live. In particular, treasures may be found in mixed forests that aren't completely bamboo, but even a little bit of broad-leaved trees.
Spring flowers have begun to bloom while the snow is still falling and the days are still cold. I went to see the witch hazel tree that I was looking forward to. She has a name of the meaning ‘first to bloom’ in Japanese.
I often have various conflicts, anxieties, and confusions running through my mind. In addition, perhaps due to the color and grain of the magnolia wood, I had not been able to take any photos that I was satisfied with. But it looks like the tree are finally starting to stand up.
Coptis is one of the flowers that blooms in early spring. Even though it was already March, a strong cold wave had arrived. However, small flowers were blooming next to the snow.
A tree trunk with clear bear claw marks. It seems that it was attached just recently. It wasn't that thick trunk, but it probably climbed desperately to prepare for the long, cold winter. I felt that such the figure of a bear could be seen from the scratches.
Cymbidium goeringii, a forest fairy and a treasure. The gentle light shining through the trees made it brighter. If it is not receiving light, it is a little darker green. A wild orchid, she has been protected from grave robbery thanks to its leaf-like color.
Bright new leaves of hosta blooming in the summer in my garden.
Its clear colored stripes.
The gradation of green color that occurs between the lines.
I discovered the new charm of hosta because of its beauty.
Even though they are surrounded by cold snow, I wonder if they are feeling spring. Each of its small bodies seemed to be stretching energetically toward the sky.
A tree that has stood alone, as if you were just leaving yourself to the flow in nature.
When I met the tree, I also felt the existence of another creature. It turned out to be a rabbit from its footprints. I could easily imagine the figure running through the side of this tree.
The pine tree looks as if it is dancing because of its branches. It is on a low mountain hill where the north wind blows from the sea. From his trunk, I sense the strong will.
It is an unnamed pond, and few people know about it. When I unexpectedly came across this pond with its beautiful colors, I felt a deep pleasure that's why I didn't know it was there.
The leaves of aquatic plants in a quiet pond were swaying in the breeze. The trees reflected on the water were overlapping in there.
I was healed by those beautiful colors and movements, and fascinated by the curves drawn by each stem of aquatic plants.
The color itself has a different appeal in dark places. During the finishing work on this work, I realised that zelkova wood has another new attraction. What I was unable to represent with cypress may be possible with zelkova.
Tiny little moss spores just a few centimetres. They had colours that I would never have seen if I had stood and looked down at them. I wondered if they were playing or competing with each other. They were evenly spaced and kept their distance from each other.
I wonder why nature creates things so beautiful. The tree had already lost its moisture and many people might see it as just a dead tree, but I was fascinated by its patterns and curves for a while.
Something vivid I found in the corner of a path. It was a mushroom with a wonderfully beautiful color and shape. Perhaps it was a highly poisonous Podostroma cornu-damae. The shape is like a burning flame. I took a picture of it carefully so as not to touch it.
A fallen tree I encountered in a forest.
I was deeply fascinated to its shape and appearance. In particular, I noticed that there are beautiful folds on a part of the trunk, colorful moss and lichens, and small and cute young leaves. I couldn't leave the place for a while.
The Zelkova tree that has taken root on a huge rock and lives powerfully. I am overwhelmed every time I see him. He never lets me express his strength well, so I want to try to take his photo again and again.
Beautifully blooming red spider lily and one that has just begun to bloom. The red spider lily is a mysterious flower that does not have leaves when it is blooming.
They bloomed quietly in the dim corner of the park. I felt like they were snuggling up to each other.
It is time to start the finishing work soon. Unless I do something really bad, it won't break in half, but I'll keep my guard up and use all my nerve to carve until the very end.
Although my physical condition isn't perfect yet, I went out to a small forest nearby, thinking that if I went to see the trees, my recovery might be quicker.
It was a hot day, but the trees cooled the air. The breeze was pleasant. Once again I was grateful to the forest.
In a forest that still lacked color, the wild cherry blossom was the first to bloom. The sight of the flowers blooming alongside the leaves makes it feel even more elegant.
The fascinating folds of a fallen tree that I met in the woods. While stacking the folds, turning them, and twisting them, I carved them into a shape that wraps around the space. Its appearance looks like a shell.
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SHELL / 2022
W130×H130×D100mm / 174g
A dogtooth violet that blooms quietly alone in a place away from other flowers.
It is a flower that looks delicate due to the thinness of its petals and stem. Moreover, she looked particularly delicate, but for some reason I felt she was strong, and I was attracted to her.
I have visited this place several times, but it was so different that I could not think it was the same place. I can't easily remember what these trees looked like in the summer either. That's why there are new discoveries no matter how many times we visit the same place.
I couldn't help but cry out with joy when I came across the bright, large, and impressively shaped mushroom. I am fascinated by the curves and undulations.
Narcissus is one of the flowers that bloom during cold season, when most of the flowers have not yet opened. Their dignified appearance blooming in the cold wind is beautiful.
They looked like clouds floating in the sky. Taking pictures made me forget that it was a pond. If possible, I thought that I wanted to stay here for a long time and watch the process of forming these patterns.
The withered Japanese pampas grass was knocked down by the wind. I passed through there once, but for some reason it bothered me so I went back. I realized that it was because the curves drawn by each piece danced, and I was fascinated by the space created by them.
The trees have completely shed all their leaves. Their appearance is graceful and beautiful. The season has come when we can enjoy the shapes of trunks and branches.
Many pure white somethings scattered in the area left by the fallen tree. They were mushrooms. I wondered if anything so pure white could exist in nature. They varied in size, and the patterns I saw when I peered straight up at some of the smaller ones were interesting.
When I first started carving, I was surprised at how soft the magnolia wood was, but as I progressed, I realized that it sometimes felt hard depending on the direction of carving, the way the grain entered the wood, and the distance to the bark.
Trees that have survived the harsh winter.
However, their facial expressions before they sprout, they are saying that they cannot be relieved yet. I was strongly fascinated to those tree shapes and branches. I drew that powerfully only with a conte.
When I greeted him, I noticed that he was more present than usual. I wondered why. He is an evergreen, so it seems that the leaves on him and the trees around him have caught the snow. Therefore, his thick trunk had only a little snow on it.
In the deep forest, I noticed that there were some fascinating curves. It was the appearance that a tree climbing around other tree trunk lost the battle. The traces remained firmly on the tree trunk that won the battle. I once again felt the harshness of nature.
A round mirror created on the surface of the pond by the snowfall. The evergreen tree was staring at another world reflected in the water with its branch tips slightly touching there.
I wonder what the trees would talk to each other at such a time. In the sunshine, which came for only a short while, the singing of birds echoed through the silent forest.
The giant trees of Castanopsis, a natural treasure. It is estimated that the largest tree is over 700 years old.
It was a hot day, but a pleasant breeze was blowing only in that place. They may have called the wind.
A lovely mushroom with only black and white colors. The pattern was characteristic. It looked like the letters written by human. Looking closer to mushrooms, I often have many new discoveries. Sometimes it's amazing, and natural formative art.
I played with the work and the light and shadow it created. I would be pleased if you could feel the "BREEZE" from the curves of the shadows as well as the work.
BREEZE / 2023
In the forest, many cedar trees stood with straight trunks. I feel sorry for them, but I felt unsatisfied with the unchanging and uninteresting scenery as I walked. Then, suddenly, sunlight came in and the scenery changed completely.
The deep part of the tree park was surrounded by silence. Trees with beautiful autumn leaves, trees with summer-colored leaves, evergreens, and trees that have already lost their leaves. The sun emerged from the gaps in the thick clouds and made them shine.
In the deep forest at the end of summer.
The flowers are rarely seen, and it's still early season for the leaves to turn red and yellow, but I found something very brightly colored.
Looking up, it has beautiful folds.
I checked out what it was.
Are they woolly chanterelle?
It is small enough to fit comfortably in your hand. The complex and beautiful colors of zelkova wood itself change depending on how natural light hits it.
Curves of overlapping snow.
They had a gentle expression.
They were drawn on the snow by the wind and gravity.
When I came across them, I completely forgot about the cold and was deeply fascinated by their beauty.
What kind of shadow will the work create? That's one of the things I look forward to when photographing my work. I find the fun of photographing to be quite different from the thrill and excitement I get from sculpting, which is achieved by setting various challenges for myself.
Branches wave toward the sky. While maintaining an appropriate distance from each other, I represented how each of them plays freely in the space. The overlapping of them shows various expressions depending on the viewing direction.
WAVES / 2023
Autumn-colored trees in the dazzling morning light. I felt as if they were calling me to come, and approached them.
They were shining with amazing beauty. It's a short period of brilliance before the storm next week. However, it makes me feel more lovable because it is short.
Frost had fallen on the edges of the fallen leaves, accentuating the veins of the leaves. However, I also felt that the frost played a role in highlighting the individual colors of the leaves, which had lost most of their color, but still had their own character.
Tree shaped like a flower just starting to bloom. Each of the six branch tips goes in different directions. I represented the way they move upwards and outwards.
BLOOM / W80×H75×D65mm / 75g
At the stage when only the last branch was left, I finally saw a breakthrough. I feel like I'm gradually starting to understand how to deal with this hardness. The advantage of the hardness and stickiness of zelkova is that there is less risk of it breaking compared to cypress.
Trametes versicolor.
I have seen this mushroom many times, but I have rarely photographed it. This was the first time I have come across something so beautiful. Moreover, it was not in the woods and forests, but in a park on a small hill nearby.
The plum blossoms heralded the arrival of spring. Blooming on the cold windy hills, the small flowers enlivened the scenery with little color.
Why are you so dark pink?
I was fascinated by the shades of color due to overlapping petals in the backlight.
Something shone above the hill. I quickly prepared my camera and waited for the next light. I pressed the shutter the moment I saw the light. But when I pressed it, the light disappeared. I took about 100 photos, most of which were all black. Only six photos were successful.
Thick clouds gradually began to move, and the sunshine appeared. The cold scenery up to that point has completely changed. I felt that the frozen trees that lived on the mountainside would have been warmed by the dazzling light that came.
Winter bud trapped in ice like glass sculpture. For the first time in several years, I saw rain ice clinging to the branches of trees. It probably cannot be seen unless various weather conditions are met.
A serow that I met by chance in the forest. I wonder how he's doing now. He is a member of the cattle family but is a natural monument creature named for the deer. He looked angry because I surprised him. But when I zoomed in on the photo I took, I saw that he had a kind face.
Spring has arrived, but the wind is still cold. It was before the announcement of cherry blossoms blooming, but I came across a cherry tree that had started to bloom a little early. The gentle colors were smiling with a gentle expression.
Water, trees, light and shadow.
A refreshing breeze came to the quiet pond. The movement of the water showed various expressions. Some leaves fluttering on the surface of the water looked gorgeous. I am deeply fascinated by water and the trees that live near it.
This is the season when Japanese maples turn into beautiful autumn colors. Each tree has a different color, giving the forest a gorgeous color even in dimly lit areas.
A beautiful leaf with only vein found in the garden of my house. A art created over time while spending time under the snow.
I came across it on the day when the spring storm was predicted to come. I took these pictures, being careful not to let it be blown by the wind.
I never thought I would be able to find such fresh mushroom at a time of year when snow is already approaching. Moreover, if I found one, I found another, then another.
When I felt like something was staring at me, there was a cute mushroom there. I was surprised that it was still in such beautiful condition even though spring is almost here.
There are many kinds of ferns, but when I found them in the forest, their shapes made them look like living creatures rather than plants. It's fun to see the joy on the faces of plants as they grow leaves and buds on the ground.
When I was walking in a forest, I felt something too small, brightly colored, and returned to the spot. I put my face close to the ground and took a good look at it. It was a cute mushroom shaped like a collection of small flowers.
It was a sunny day, but dark clouds began to spread over the forest. When the temperature also dropped and I felt a little lonely, I noticed the wild cherry blossom that still had light. The mossy trunk stood out in the dark forest. It was as beautiful as a painting.
Trees that continue to live on huge rocks.
They happened to be destined to live on the spot and have adapted to the environment by utilizing a small amount of soil on rocks that have been created over a long period of time. A complete forest had been formed on the rock.