SABI

SABI

Wataru Sakuma

          Known for his intricate organic pulp art, Japanese designer, Wataru Sakuma (b. 1979) has lived in the Philippines for fifteen years as a designer for Masa Ecological Development Inc. (Masaeco), a Japanese pulp- and forest-products company in Tagaytay,

          Born in Japan, Sakuma studied at the Memphis College of Fine Arts and at the New York Studio Program, affiliated with Parsons School of Design.

          For a recent group show at A11, he created a series of objects called “Not what it seems to be” where he first experimented with fusing paper and metal powder.

          The works were based on a theme of memory and aging which was inspired by his mother who is suffering dementia.

          Sakuma says, "As I approach 40 years of age, family, friends and relatives age simultaneously and it is inevitable. Memories are created and forgotten. We age every day and new lives are born every day. It is a cycle that we all inhabit in. "

          The works for this show is a continuous experimental attempt and exploration of two seemingly opposite materials and what they represent. Paper with pure natural fiber representing purity / beginning while metal and rusting represent aging and time duration. On a plain sheet of paper, minimal brush strokes with metal powder which eventually rust as they dry, create the spontaneous stain and color variations.

          The artist's attempt was to capture the duration of time using the natural process of rusting and aging, as well as the beauty hidden behind the aging which unfolds as time passes by.