Return Yoshimasa Tsuchiya to Jaski Gallery with ‘Private Myth’

For the second time, Jaski Gallery organized a solo exhibition with news works from the famous Japanese sculpturist/woodcarver Yoshimasa Tsuchiya. The official opening of the show, titled ‘Private Myth’, took place on Saturday 12 May, 2018. Tsuchiya was present. It was possible to visit the show until Sunday 27 May.

Yoshimasa Tsuchiya works with wood to create life-size majestic creatures conjured by his imagination. He graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts majoring in woodcarving and after four years, he completed his doctorate degree in 2007. For one of his projects, he decided to create life-size sculptures of various mythical beings from Japanese folklore. Some of the creatures that he creates are also inspired by his own dreams. The sculptures are simple yet they give off a certain mystery. The series challenges viewers to examine their own private myths when viewing the sculptures.

The very popular Japanse sculpturist, born in 1977 in Kanagawa, goes through a rigorous process to complete a sculpture. A template is first created and then fitted on a block of wood. Afterwards, a saw will be used to remove the excess wood – this is where the sculpture takes shape. After more carvings and sculpting, the piece of wood is then sanded to smooth out the surface. Plaster and paint is then used to finish the piece of art.

“I think that mythology is a series of allegorical stories referring the origin of a group of people”, says Yoshimasa Tsuchiya. “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.”