Japanese artist Nagato Iwasaki creates otherworldly figurative sculptures out of pieces of driftwood. With their tall, looming proportions and abstracted body parts, these figures resemble characters from a science fiction movie. Entitled Torso, the artist took special care in smoothing the individual pieces of wood that make up the life-size statues. This dedication to craft results in an uncanny visual image of skin.
Iwasaki developed the idea after coming across the driftwood at Sugara Bay and found that it resembled human muscles and organs. Although he works primarily as a painter, he began creating these three-dimensional pieces to explore his vision from a new perspective. The artist worked on the evocative series for 25 years and completed it in 2010.
Each of these eerie sculptures is individually unique, as the artist used different combinations of the driftwood material when constructing the human frame. Some figures appear to be more “complete,” with smooth, alienesque heads and minimal facial features, while others are displayed more fractured—headless, armless, or just falling apart. Moreover, when the sculptures were finished, Iwasaki staged them in different forested landscapes to emphasize their haunting appearance. In these photographs, the androgynous wooden figures look as though they are walking in a desolate world, devoid of human inhabitation.
Scroll down to see more figurative sculptures by Iwasaki, and check out his website to view his full portfolio.
Japanese artist Nagato Iwasaki creates incredible figurative sculptures out of driftwood.
The series, entitled Torso, depicts androgynous subjects using abstract wooden shapes.
Nagato Iwasaki: Website | Facebook
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Nagato Iwasaki.
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