Meticulously metal upon closer look
- Taiichiro gives life to large-scale animals and creatures through metal sculpting
- He achieves a variety of colours by cooling hot metals at various stages and plating
- His sculptures are based on a plasticine armature
Japanese artist Taiichiro Yoshida is a pioneer in artistic metalsmithing, meticulously handcrafting detailed sculptures. Using copper, bronze, silver, and other metals, Taiichiro achieves diverse colours only through chemical transformation, heat treatment, and electroplating on a copper base. He painstakingly hand-moulds textures and edges, delicately wrapping them around armatures of animals such as dogs, chicks, or teddy bears, to create sculptures where fragile metal pieces ripple across forms or stack to form intricate layers. Taiichiro's phantasmagorical artworks exemplify his mastery of traditional metalworking techniques. His skill is evident in how he crafts hard metal flowers into dynamic and life-like creatures, establishing a deep connection between animals, nature and the viewer.
Interview
- What inspires your work?
- Drawing from my studies in surface decoration, I create works inspired by animal skin, crafting repeating cells and fur patterns. Skin serves as the boundary between self and the external world. Through skin, I explore the nature of existence and self.
- How is your craft influcenced by the area you work in?
- My town, an old industrial district, hosts artisans and suppliers, reflecting Japan's metalworking history and the decline of artisanal toolmakers due to industrialisation. It makes me reflect on the choice of metal and the value of manual labour.
- Do you have a technical specialty?
- I devised a new type of chisel called teibatsukiri jonukitagane by combining the traditional Japanese chisels called teikan jotagane for stamping repetitive patterns, and batsuki nukitagane for cutting out the same shape.
- Why is copper your metal of choice?
- Copper is versatile and easy to work with, allowing for production in a wide range of colours through chemical changes, heat treatment, and electroplating on a copper base. It is a material that allows me to clearly express the desired image or concept in my works.
Taiichiro Yoshida is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2013
Where
Taiichiro Yoshida
