Aki Rusu
Metal sculptor
Odawara, Japan
Impermanence, iron and the passage of time
- Aki shapes iron sculptures through welded layering
- She views welding as an artistic craft capable of carrying meaning
- Her artworks tell a story of fleeting time and permanence
Aki Rusu creates elemental iron sculptures with welding, cutting and forging techniques, bridging fine art and traditional Japanese kogei metalwork. Born in Miyagi Prefecture, she studied fine arts and tankin, the traditional practice of metal hammering, at Tama Art University, where she later completed a master’s degree. While initially introduced to welding as a supporting technique, Aki was drawn to the molten state of iron itself. “I enjoyed the repeated cycle of melting, solidifying and reconnecting material into unified forms,” she says. Her childhood also shaped her relationship to making. Raised in a family involved in store construction, Aki grew up surrounded by tools, materials and small-scale creations. Today, her sculptures are built through the stacking and welding of iron fragments, allowing rust, surface change and the movement of material to become active parts of the work’s formation.
INTERVIEW
While studying tankin at university, I encountered welding as a related technique. I became fascinated not by joining pieces together, but by the molten condition of metal. Iron felt especially natural because of its repeated cycles of melting and solidifying to gradually form a structure.
Each work begins with a phenomenon I discover in the material itself. I weld and build conditions around it, responding continuously to how the iron moves and changes. Surface, structure and form develop together through repeated exchanges between hand and material.
Although welding is usually considered an industrial process, my understanding of it comes from craft education. The tankin technique taught me the close relationship between hand, material and tools. I try to redefine welding as a skill capable of carrying aesthetic expression.
Through observing iron, I became interested in both fleeting moments and lasting time. I also learned the importance of effort and human connection. Encounters, materials and experiences only remain meaningful if you are attentive enough to receive them.
Aki Rusu
Metal sculptor
Odawara, Japan
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Odawara, Japan
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Japanese
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