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The carved works of Sho Kishino (b. 1972) represent a release of spirit and a modest animistic philosophy from beginning to end. Kishino uses old timber found from Japanese temples and shrines he discovers in the mountains and in riverbeds. He communes with the spirit that resides within the wood then abandons self to produce these sculptures. His works embody a feeling of 'emptiness' and can be described as a fusion of Giacometti and Zen Buddhism.
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Hafu Matsumoto (b. 1952) studied under Iizuka Shokansai (designated a Living National Treasure in 1982). He then set up his workshop and moved to Tateyama in Chiba in 1988. He is known for creating works out of pieces of bamboo into beautiful organic sculptures. In 2007 he received the Tokyo Governor’s Prize at the 48th East Japan Craft Art Exhibition, and in 2014 he won the Japan Kogei Association Chairman’s prize at the 61st Dento Kogei Ten (Japanese Traditional Craft Art) exhibition. His work is in significant collections, including the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, USA.
