Bringing balance home.
I have always been fascinated by oriental philosophies and particularly the Japanese spirit. There is something about the way that they view the world that is so different from the Western perspective. I find myself continually drawn to their way of thinking, and it has had a big influence on my art.
In particular, I am inspired by the concepts of balance and harmony in complementarity. I feel like these are things that are often lacking today - especially with the rise of extremisms - and I try to evoke them in my art. I want my art to be a place of peace and calm, where people can come to escape the chaos of everyday life.
Harmony in Complementarity
In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin and yang is used to describe how opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world; and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. This concept can be seen in many of WOKUZAI's designs which feature both light and dark colors, hard and soft lines, light and shadow, etc. By bringing together seemingly opposite forces, WOKUZAI's designs are able to achieve a sense of balance.
Balance
I strive to create art that evokes this sense of balance. My pieces are meant to be visually pleasing but also calming and serene. I want my viewers to feel like they can take a deep breath when they see my work. My hope is that my art will help people slow down and appreciate the simple things in life.
Simplicity
I also appreciate the aesthetic of simplicity. I think that we often try to complicate things when they don't need to be complicated. We add unnecessary details and make things more difficult than they need to be. I strive for simplicity in my art so that people can focus on the beauty of the overall piece, rather than getting caught up in all of the small details. My art is a soft nudge to focus on the essential.
Creation & Sustainability
I am fascinated by the new creative avenues that 3D printing offers. On the one hand, because this technology allows for the use of new materials, both aesthetically pleasing and ecologically responsible. On the other hand, because it allows the creation of new shapes with unparalleled lightness and solidity. And all of this comes on top of being a zero-waste production method because there is no waste of material during printing and each piece is produced on demand.
This technology allows for the production of complex shapes in virtually any material imaginable, from plastic to metal, making it possible to create products that would otherwise be impossible or prohibitively expensive to manufacture. It also makes it easier to explore new ideas by testing them quickly, from mind to 3D reality in a few hours (ideally).
For the WOKUZAI collection of objects, the material I used is a mixture of wood and corn, and this material interests me of course for its aesthetic aspect: its finely grained texture, the way the deep matte black seems to absorb all the light in a room and the sandy version softens it,... But, in addition to its visual interest, and because like everyone of us, I care about our impact on our environment: I do not want my creation to be at the expense of the planet!
