Two sculptures by Tsuchiya Nobuko (b. 1972) invite us to accompany her into a space where equilibrium and levity are key. A traveler at heart, ready to propel herself into the unknown, finding relevance amongst objects or events, documenting situations and happenstance, she loves interaction between objects, space and creates microcosm from them. Her installations are often interconnected, very light and airy and invite the viewer into a cocoon.

Assemblage, contrast in texture, chance encounters, inner feelings, intuition, construction and deconstruction are characteristics of the Japanese born sculptor who studied, lived and exhibited in Europe for many years before returning to Japan. Finding and collecting objects, choosing to combine some of them without a predefined vision allows her to experiment, to sense what suits them and her, to explore, to recompose, to try again. The challenge is continuous until it gels and Tsuchiya Nobuko’s sculpture is created.

Joining available materials, pieces or remnants of discarded objects, wire, making shapes using resin, plaster, is part of her practice. Looking at the composition, taking it apart, recombining and reassembling, letting memory and senses guide the process is essential for her as she creates. Shapes and materials vary from elongated to compact, soft and hard, dense to nebulous, malleable and strictly defined. The unknown, undefinable and unpredictable remain along with their uniqueness and continued associations.

Language and titles are precisely defined and an integral part of her work. In teddy tunes 10.6, 2022, (wool, resin, silicon tube, steel), the link between the two pieces is essential as it creates the necessary balance, alluding to communication, transfusion, cooperation.

The sculpture Cockpit Truffle, 2019, combines a large hand modeled smooth but irregular shape resting on a metal grid with the “truffle” resting on a rectangular plate on top of it. The arc formed by the thin steel rod adds a sense of controlled tension. An imaginary journey propelling us to another universe and awaking of our senses and consciousness is tangible.

Tsuchiya was included in exhibitions in the 50th Venice Biennale, (2003); Non Toccare La Donna Bianca – Arte Contemporanea fra diversità e liberazione, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Torino, IT (2004); Unmonumental: The Object in the 21st Century, New Museum, New York, USA (2007); Hybridizing Earth, Discussing Multitude, Busan Biennale, KR (2016); L’envol ou le rêve de voler, la maison rouge, Fondation Antoine de Galbert, Paris, FR (2018), Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, (2019), JP; Yorkshire Sculpture International, Leeds City Art Gallery, Leeds, UK (2019), Nissan Art Award, Yokohama, JP (2020). Her works are in the Cranford Collection, UK, Daskolopoulos Collection, GR, La Maison Rouge, FR; Leeds City Art Gallery, UK; Omar B’enjelloun Foundation, MA; Saatchi Collection, London, UK, Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation, IT; Zabludowicz Collection, UK, among others.

Anne Mosseri-Marlio