Artist
Hashimoto Masaya
Water Mirror. 2018. Installation view from Hijisai (Earth Art Festival), Yamamoto Hachiman Shrine, Tochigi Prefecture, 2018.
Water Mirror/Hibiscus syriacus. 2018. Deer antler, ceramic (vessel by Toda Koji). Installation view from Hijisai (Earth Art Festival), Yamamoto Hachiman Shrine, Tochigi Prefecture, 2018. H. 9, W. 45, D. 45 cm.
Hibiscus syriacus. 2018. Deer antler. Installation view from Hijisai (Earth Art Festival), Yamamoto Hachiman Shrine, Tochigi Prefecture, 2018. H. 7, W. 7, D. 6 cm.
Photo: Ooki Jingu.
Photo: Ooki Jingu.
Photo: Ooki Jingu.
Hashimoto’s artistic practice originated with a trip to India in 2000 when he polished a piece of driftwood that he found on the bank of a river. He became captivated by how natural objects could be worked or shaped to express their inherent qualities. His signature botanical-themed sculptures carved from antler and bone have garnered attention in Japan and abroad. In recent years, he has chosen to work with materials gathered from the areas around exhibition sites, shaping part of the natural environment and producing numerous pieces that explore the many forms of life.
Profile
Hashimoto Masaya
Born in 1978 in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture. He began sculpting after a trip through the mountains of India in 2000. Fascinated by how natural objects could be worked or shaped to express their inherent qualities, he studied sculpture on his own and began working with materials such as wood, antler, horn, bone, and clay. In 2012, he published a book of collected works titled Seed with No Shell through Monde Books. His past exhibitions include Hashimoto Masaya—The Space Between Things (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, 2014) and 5 Rooms II—The Truth Is in the Air (Kanagawa Prefectural Gallery).