What materials does Kanemaki use for his sculptures?

Kanemaki carves his sculptures from a single block of wood—often camphor but also cypress, ginkgo, cherry, and other types—and then paints them in vivid colors.

What inspired the "Mirror Prism" sculpture at the Shibuya Parco exhibition?

Kanemaki based "Mirror Prism" on actress Anna Yamada after seeing her in a car advertisement; he was curious about her true self beneath the various roles she plays and contacted her to model for the sculpture, and she agreed.

How is the Shibuya Parco gallery designed to attract visitors?

The fourth-floor gallery has no front door, only a reception desk, and is nestled among fashion stores to offer Shibuya Parco patrons easy access to art without barriers, allowing people to wander in without prior knowledge of his work.

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Japanese sculptor Yoshitoshi Kanemaki captures psychological complexity in wooden figures with multiple faces and distorted features, now on display at Shibuya Parco.

Japan Times Tech1d ago5 min read

Key takeaway

Japanese sculptor Yoshitoshi Kanemaki creates wooden figures with multiple faces and distorted features to express the complexity of human emotion and the hidden self beneath a normal surface. His series "Prism" is now displayed at Shibuya Parco in an exhibition designed to welcome casual viewers without barriers, reflecting his goal to make art accessible to the general public.

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3 Key Points

What happened
Yoshitoshi Kanemaki has created an ongoing sculpture series called "Prism" that features life-size and miniature wooden figures carved from a single block—camphor, cypress, ginkgo, cherry, and other types—then painted in vivid colors. The sculptures depict women and sometimes men with dozens of eyes, cascading faces, and extra fingers, appearing distorted as though from a corrupted digital file. His current exhibition at Shibuya Parco, titled "Emergence Entity," includes "Mirror Prism," a centerpiece based on actress Anna Yamada.
Why it matters
Kanemaki uses the sculptures to express human emotional complexity and the gap between a person's external appearance and hidden self. The figures deliberately evoke discomfort mixed with fascination, inviting viewers to reconsider what they assume about the people around them. The exhibition is deliberately positioned at Shibuya Parco's fourth-floor gallery, which lacks a front door and sits among fashion stores, to make art accessible to casual visitors without prior knowledge of his work.
What to watch
Kanemaki draws inspiration from Buddhist statues, especially depictions of arhats known for their deeply emotional expressions. Most of the women and men he carves come from his own imagination, though "Mirror Prism" is the exception—created after he saw Anna Yamada in a car advertisement and was impressed by her acting ability across different roles.

FAQ

What materials does Kanemaki use for his sculptures?: Kanemaki carves his sculptures from a single block of wood—often camphor but also cypress, ginkgo, cherry, and other types—and then paints them in vivid colors.
What inspired the "Mirror Prism" sculpture at the Shibuya Parco exhibition?: Kanemaki based "Mirror Prism" on actress Anna Yamada after seeing her in a car advertisement; he was curious about her true self beneath the various roles she plays and contacted her to model for the sculpture, and she agreed.
How is the Shibuya Parco gallery designed to attract visitors?: The fourth-floor gallery has no front door, only a reception desk, and is nestled among fashion stores to offer Shibuya Parco patrons easy access to art without barriers, allowing people to wander in without prior knowledge of his work.

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