The works of six metalwork artists who are fascinated by metal and create unique worlds have gathered at the Seiko House Hall on the sixth floor of Seiko House. This is the third exhibition, entitled "Deepening Metalwork III." The numerous sculptures created using unique techniques speak to us of the infinite possibilities of metal as a material.

Kensaku Aihara takes his beloved insects and transforms them into artwork through his own lens.

A thread-winged dragonfly is resting its wings. Its six slender legs are firmly gripping the reeds by the water. The way the legs are curved is realistic. But on closer inspection, there are many differences from the real thing, such as its large eyeballs and the fact that its four wings sprout from the same place on its body. And despite being made of iron, an extremely hard material among metals, the thread-winged dragonfly has a somewhat ephemeral air, as the title of the work, "Fluctuating Feelings," suggests.

The dragonflies and swallowtail butterflies created by Aihara Kensaku are made of iron and do not exist as individual insects, but rather seem to be breathing organisms that exist within the landscape.

"Through the filter of myself, I distort the parts that I like and, conversely, I boldly omit parts that I think are unnecessary. But first I carefully observe the real thing and start by sketching it. It would be best to actually catch insects, but there aren't many real ones around these days, so I buy specimens instead."

Aihara had loved insects from an early age and also loved making things, so when he grew up and decided to pursue metalwork, it was only natural that he would turn to insects as a motif.

"Many of the works of my seniors at art school were based on the human body or animals, but for me metal is a hard material, and it seemed to me that it matched very well with the exoskeleton structure of insects. What's more, I've loved insects since I was a child, so it was quite natural for me to start making insects."

Uncovering the advanced metalworking techniques achieved by our predecessors

Aihara's work is made using a technique called tankin, which involves cutting and joining iron that has been hammered and stretched to create a shape. It is a simple technique that does not require chisels, and has been used in Japan since ancient times to make swords, armor, and other items.

"There are some pieces by our predecessors whose making methods we don't know how they were made. We are conducting research at the university to clarify these methods, and recently we were able to restore this piece."

It was a gourd that was casually on display. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary metal gourd, but when you hear that the gourd was made simply by hammering a single round metal plate into a three-dimensional object with graceful curves, without any joining work having been done once, you will be amazed.

"I'm involved in the restoration of cultural assets, and I'm often amazed at the incredible technology our predecessors came up with."

The immediate effect of seeing results, like a live performance, is what makes metalwork so interesting.

"Basically, hammering is just a repeated process of hitting metal with a hammer, but it is a very deep technique. Even the slightest difference in the angle of bending or millimeter-level differences in cutting can greatly change the expression of the work. With this Thread Dragonfly, I made millimeter-level adjustments until the very end. Maybe it's because I'm the type of person who doesn't give up easily."

Aihara gives a wry smile.

"But that's also the charm of metalwork. In other words, it's immediate, or it feels like a live performance. Unlike pottery, where you don't know the result until you take the piece out of the kiln, or lacquerware, where it takes time for the piece to dry, you get the result right away, and I think that's what makes metalwork so fascinating."

I want to give flexibility to these iron insects.

Aihara's works are primarily made of iron, with the foil-covered surfaces ranging from a subdued golden color to a deep, sunken dull color.

"Iron is one of the hardest and most durable metals. But it also has a flexible image, just like a Japanese sword. I want to value that flexibility as well. I want insects to have not only the hardness of iron, but also flexibility."

The thread-tailed dragonflies and swallowtail butterflies that Aihara creates do not simply exist as insects, but appear to be breathing in the landscape, probably because the insects exude a certain flexibility, as Aihara intended. Looking at the work again with this in mind, I felt for a moment that the thread-tailed dragonflies, which had been perched there, were about to spread their wings and take off at any moment.

Designing the mechanisms and structures that enable us to live, and expressing them in metal - Keiko Kume

How can I express it? The intricately assembled metals form a microcosm. And yet this microcosm is by no means inorganic; rather, it quietly asserts its presence with the feel of a faintly breathing microorganism. The parts that make up the interior are pale blue-green. The combination of the modest, pale color and the curved parts gives the impression of the origin of organic life, rather than inorganic.

"I'm thinking about how to design and express the mechanisms and structures that enable life to continue, using metal. The motif could be the entire living organism."

Keiko Kume's works are mysterious. As she herself says, they are like a microscopic world reminiscent of the primordial form of life, yet at the same time, they are like a complete microcosm.

"I look at the structures of pollen, seeds, seashells and many other things to get ideas. I even look at radiolarians, a type of zooplankton that floats in the ocean, and sometimes even atlases of bacteria seen under a microscope. When you think of metal, you imagine something hard, but I try to achieve a balance between this and a slightly soft, squishy feel."

Drawing a cross-section of the envisioned finished product. Work begins from there.

Kume's work begins with drawing a precise cross-section of the finished product that he has in his head. He cuts out the parts depicted in the cross-section from a brass plate using a jigsaw, files them down neatly, and then assembles them. That may sound simple, but it's not so easy in reality.

"Sometimes, even the slightest deviation in the dimensions of one part means that the whole thing can't be assembled, and all the other cut-out parts can't be used. Some pieces have around 1 parts, so it's quite disheartening. I don't use a 30D printer or CAD for architectural blueprints for the cross-sections either; I just draw them in my head and use them as floor plans. I guess I just enjoy thinking about such small details. But what I do in the workshop is cut out parts from brass sheets with a jigsaw according to the blueprints, then smooth them out with a file, heat them a little to bend them, and sometimes add fretwork - it's the old-fashioned world of metalwork."

By combining various parts, the interior becomes more complex and a microcosm is created.

"When I was at art school, I made two metal hemispheres and joined them together to make a sphere with the seam obscured. In the world of metalwork, which starts with a flat metal plate, it is impossible to make a closed sphere without going through the process of joining them, but this gave me a hint that I might be able to create a pleasing expression. Rather than joining parts together, I constructed a world by combining various parts and made the interior more and more complex. I then infused the structure of life, which has interested me for a long time, into these works."

Pretty metal flowers decorating the walls

On the wall hangs a work entitled "loop." It is an adorable piece of work, made by layering thinly sliced ​​lemon-like metal sheets in a loop shape, which in itself resembles a delicate flower petal or a complex snowflake. As with "wonders097-2," parts of the metal sheet are colored a pale blue-green, a color called verdigris. It is a unique and somewhat nostalgic color that is created when the copper contained in the brass, the material Kume uses, reacts with moisture in the air.

"It's entirely up to the viewer to imagine what they think of my work. However, I hope that they will develop a sense of attachment to the work. The insides appear to be perfectly fitted together, but some parts are intentionally assembled to move. I hope that you will find these little 'playful' details."

In addition to the two artists we spoke to, the following four artists have each exhibited their own unique works at this exhibition.

Mr. Kosuke Kato, Mr. Naoki Sakai, Mr. Kengo Takahashi, Mr. Haruho Mitsuda

◆Art exploration diary ~ Exhibition information

Evolution of Metalwork III ──Evolution of Metal Works III──

Date: January 2025, 5 (Thursday) - January 22, 2025 (Sunday)

Time: 11:00 – 19:00 until 17:00 on the last day