Photos by Sayumi. All images © Fumiya Watanabe, shared with permission
“My work is like a diary, like a poem,” says Fumiya Watanabe, who translates daily experiences and emotions into poignant wooden sculptures. Based in Gifu, Japan, the artist studied wood carving during university, then later with a master Inami artisan. Honing a technical understanding of the medium prompted Watanabe to immortalize things he saw and experienced into delicate artworks.
The artist spends time doodling in his free time, cataloguing things he has seen. “My feelings appear in various forms,” he tells Colossal. “Events in my daily life, things from the past, people around me, and the dogs and cats I live with also come to me…. I am not trying to convey some big message in my works. I just give form to what I feel. I want the viewer to freely interpret and enjoy them.”
Watanabe’s work will be on view in a solo exhibition in Tokyo at msb gallery from June 13 to 23. Find more on the artist’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.
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Source: Art - thisiscolossal.com
