ARTIST STATEMENT
I have always been fascinated by clay and
the tactile sensation you get when working with it; the push
and pull of this most pliable material, the smoothness of fresh
clay; sensual, and almost delicious.
Making my art is a time for myself: a
refuge from the crazy world outside. My sculptures makes a
statement about who I am, my life experiences and the world I
find myself in. They force me to question the path I've taken
thus far, and even more importantly, where I'm heading.
Creating my art fills me with lots of good emotions, energizes
me and reinforces my confidence as a sculptor.
My martial arts training in traditional
Japanese swordsmanship inspires my concepts and designs. I'm
drawn to the Buddhist's philosophy and viewpoint about life,
specifically the search for the Way, “Tao” (Chinese
reading) or “Do” (Japanese reading), the
impermanence of this life, the relationship between body, mind
and spirit, ultimately leading to relationships between human
beings. I enjoy translating these abstract concepts into
sculptures, giving them shape and form, and perhaps a life of
their own. When everything comes together, it is truly
beautiful to see and feel.
It is me sharing with you something
visually, so hopefully you feel something inside. My art
doesn't have to look pretty all the time. Sometimes, it evokes
a scary and icky feeling. That's OK too. If you do feel
something, then I have communicated and am happy. I want my
sculptures to convey a story of how this piece came to be, the
thought process that went into it and the source of inspiration
I draw from.
Creating art for the joy of it is the
purest transfer of one person's innermost feelings into his
medium, before that process becomes contaminated with thoughts
of business, sales, marketing, production and throughput. As
artists, we all have to figure out this balance - food for
thought for a new piece of sculpture?
Come share and enjoy my journey. I'll tell
you my story...
