Osaka, Japan
In a conformist society of sophisticated stylization, the Japanese sculptor Michio Fukuoka stands out as an outcast. A “Sculptor Who No Longer Sculpts,” as he’s identified by this retrospective, he questions logical frames of mind and, with his keen intuition, is quick to defy them. He favors taking a longer, more difficult road to uncover an imagery determined by hard reflection. It’s a luxury, and perhaps a bit indulgent, to be patient enough to discover your own creative voice. One suspects that many artists today would have abandoned the journey long ago. Fukuoka’s sculpture (along with his writing) becomes a provocative public statement, a naked personal poetry. At the age of 81, his mind continues to home in on the search for and perfection of an art that can offer a new rhythm of life. …see the entire review in the print version of July/August’s Sculpture magazine.
