The multi-colored stripe sculptures of Kyotaro Hakamata

images courtesy gallery kobayashi | click to enlarge

Kyotaro Hakamata creates wonderfully colorful statues using multi-color stripes. His works, which are usually in the likeness of human bodies or body parts, are at first hardly recognizable. But that is the exact intent of the artist. “Stripes are very strong visible elements. They destroys shapes,” he told Azito. The contradiction that stripes (as a shape) can actually hinder our ability to recognize shapes is what interested Hakamata.

But what’s also intriguing is how he creates these striped sculptures. He begins by creating a Styrofoam mold, which is then sliced into horizontal pieces. Acrylic replicas are then cut and layered onto one another. It’s a process that’s deeply rooted in history, says Hakamata. “For example, earthenware is made by layering one round clay on top of another. The huge Buddha sculpture in Nara (Western historical prefecture in Japan) was also created from layering from the bottom up to its head.”