Tomoaki Suzuki solo exhibition

11 Dec 2010-6 Mar 2011

Overview

Tomoaki Suzuki’s figurative sculptures are extraordinarily lifelike. His subjects are real people with distinctive street styles all their own, which Suzuki faithfully recreates by fusing contemporary iconography with traditional Japanese wood carving. Suzuki is inspired by consumerism, fashion and youth culture, and the eclectic mix of cultures he encounters every day on the street outside his studio in Hackney. This is his first solo show in a UK public gallery. Suzuki’s craftmanship is astonishing. Hand crafted in lime wood, his figures stand one third human scale, their resemblance to the models he works from uncanny. He challenges conventional methods of displaying figurative sculpture by placing his statuettes directly on the floor, rather than on a plinth. The scale of his work recalls childhood toys, requiring the viewer to physically get down onto the gallery floor in order to connect with each figure at eye level.