Nagato Iwasaki’s grotesque human sculptures, made from driftwood, look scarier than the walking dead! You certainly wouldn’t want to encounter them in a forest. However, a closer look at these creations reveals the intricacies that this sculptor goes into creating them.
There is no doubt that the driftwood sculptures created by this Japanese artist, who’s based in Japan, are unique. And Nagato Iwasaki sculpture location complements the eeriness of these humanoids. Needless to say, placing these frightening driftwood sculptures in a forest setting gives them a spooky touch, enough to unnerve even the strong-hearted!
Despite this, one has to admire Iwasaki’s eye for detail. Each part of the human figure is so meticulously constructed that the right pieces of driftwood fit the right places on the human body. The sculptures look something out of a human anatomy book.
Iwasaki has been crafting these driftwood sculptures for the last 25 years. And he has aptly named his collection ‘Torso’. These life-size creations are of both the sexes and measure around 5 feet 9 inches (180 centimeters) in height. His sculptures take a long time to complete since he has to first collect driftwood from various locations in Japan and then try to fit them to form the human shape. Since no two driftwood sculptures are the same, they seem as different as humans do, with their individual quirks and personalities.
These Japanese driftwood sculptures are not confined to the forest alone but have been displayed in solo and group exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. This sculptor also collaborated with fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto at Florence Biennale in Italy in 1996. His figures also featured on the cover of the 2008 compilation album of The Black Horn, a Tokyo-based indie rock band.
Iwasaki’s sculpting prowess was recognized when he was bestowed Kirin Contemporary Art Award by Special July Prize Kirin Plaza Osaka and was selected New Artist in Yamanashi by Yamanashi Prefectural Museum Awards Grand Prize. His works also figure in publications, such as ‘Kaseki-Kun’ picture book Fukuinkan Shoten, ‘Fossil Little Brother’ picture book, and ‘Note 1’ drawing collection Goma Shobo.
Nagato Iwasaki