Tetsuya Nagata
Paper artist
Sakura, Japan
Wagashi moulds, washi forms
- Tetsuya’s practice involves a one-of-a-kind technique of shaping washi paper
- He uses centuries-old concave sugar moulds to create forms
- He takes imprints of objects from daily life
Through Tetsuya Nagata’s choice of materials, his paper creations act as historical archives. He has amassed a collection of over 2,000 wooden wagashi making moulds, once used to create celebratory sugar treats, from all over Japan. These intricate tools, some of which are hundreds of years old, represent auspicious creatures such as cranes, sea bream and turtles. Tetsuya applies handmade Japanese washi paper to these moulds to produce 3D paper imprints that he then arranges into compositions, some of which take up to a year to create. "My practice centres on recording memories. I exclusively work with materials that experienced life with another function, such as confectionery moulds," he says.
INTERVIEW
I learned how washi paper is made while I was at university. I was really interested in how I could capture memory, and what kind of material would allow me to do that best. I wanted something similar to human skin, something that could breathe.
I had been contemplating the two sides to experiences: the inside and outside, the seen and unseen. Mould makers have the capacity to see the world from two perspectives: they can see an object and then intricately carve its inverse to create a mould.
I judge a piece based on whether it is structurally sound, with solid balance and beautiful proportions. Master mould makers would add their names to their pieces.
I feel a sense of crisis. There is a divide between what we can rationalise and measure, and the beauty that we simply feel. With AI, we seem to be entering a world of reproductions. The more society focuses on breaking things down logically, the less it grasps their essence.
Tetsuya Nagata
Paper artist
Sakura, Japan
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Sakura, Japan
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Japanese
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