Isamu Noguchi and his light sculpture "AKARI

Isamu Noguchi, the son of a Japanese father and an American mother, spent his childhood in Japan and worked as a sculptor mainly in the United States and France during his 20s. Noguchi, who studied sculpture under the sculptor Constantin Brancusi, is known as one of the leading sculptors of the 20th century for his rich sensitivity and scale of expression, including numerous sculptures that utilize materials such as stone, metal, and wood, as well as landscape designs for parks and gardens, which can be considered sculptures of the earth. He is known as one of the leading sculptors of the 20th century.

Photo credit: https://www.economist.com
 

「When you are facing a natural stone, it starts to talk to you. When I hear their voices, I give them a little help."」 

As his famous phrase expresses, Noguchi's sculptures, based on simple forms such as straight lines and circles, draw out the individuality of the materials as they are, and give us a sense of fundamental strength, as if he were speaking of the providence of nature and the universe.