Mamoru Fukui likes to walk in the woods, along beach coasts and river banks. He gathers wood for sculpting – driftwood from the beach and river, twigs from mountains, leftover pieces from thinning and waste timber from the local bush. In each piece he selects, he sees unexpected possibilities in its colours, textures and form that draw him in. While he carves and polishes the wood he carefully notes the scars and dents – marks that talk to each piece of wood’s specific history. He identifies its character and applies different carving techniques to celebrate this – creating artisanal sculptures from natural resources.
The colour, texture and form of each sculpture is unique. In time, the wood from an ancient forest is transformed into a beautiful new face. These wood sculptures remind us of a primordial world. After a sculpture is finished, Mamoru wonders what the sculpture’s journey across time will be like…