Statue of Rain 雨の像

TANADA Koji (1968-) is a sculptor who over the past 30 years has centered his practice on the depiction of human figures. Tanada had initially created figurative sculptures that used a combination of different materials including FRP elements molded from his own face and hands. Since his experience of residing in Berlin in 2001 however, he has engaged in the method of “Ichibokuzukuri,” a traditional Japanese woodcarving technique often seen in Buddhist statues, in which sculptures are made from a single block of wood. In particular, his sculptures of boys and girls characterized by their thin limbs, distinctive facial expressions, and their subtle uses of color have come to be recognized as a representative style of his work, through them conveying both the fragility and unyielding strength that resides in the boundaries of human life such as childhood and adulthood, life and death. Statue of Rain is Tanada’s first full-scale sculpture of an adult female figure carved out of a single block of wood, and is modeled on a Sundanese woman from Indonesia. Having been produced based on the artist’s two-month residency in Indonesia in 2015, the work reflects a desire to “directly depict the way in which the figure actually stands.” What is realized as a result is a female figure that stands in a natural posture with her knees a little bent and her body slightly turned, all the while instilling a calm yet striking impression upon the viewer. Through a use of colors that places emphasis on the tones and texture of the wood, the figure’s gentle appearance comes to overlap with the image of falling rain and the flow of water, giving rise to a certain space that even evokes the backdrop of the statue. Conveying an air of unconstrained strength amidst its natural gesture, the statue manifests as that which is unique but at the same time harbors a sense of universality. Tanada’s consistent practice of engaging with people is none other than an attempt to touch upon the history of woodcarving, while also responding to and exploring the ways of our lives.