Fine Art by Sculptor Ryosuke Yazaki and Illustrator Sayori Wada | Levi's® Made & Crafted™ Gallery
Gallery
March 1, 2015

Fine Art by Sculptor Ryosuke Yazaki and Illustrator Sayori Wada | Levi's® Made & Crafted™ Gallery

The collaboration piece, "Urusuodok," was photographed in the atelier and warehouse adjacent to sculptor Ryosuke Yazaki's home. Bathed in soft light from the window, it felt as though a vibrant, quiet "heartbeat" could be heard.
In the old, three-tiered wooden box are the chisels and knives inherited from his grandfather, the sculptor Torao Yazaki, which he still uses with care. "It seems my grandfather brought this toolbox when he rushed to help rebuild Horyuji Temple," says Yazaki.
Tools that have been used for decades and handled with care – their beauty is evident at a glance. There is perhaps nothing more beautiful.
Yazaki gazes at a work in progress, its raw wood surface gleaming. It seems to synchronize with the washed, relaxed feel of a Levi's® Made & Crafted™ shirt.
The pure, unadorned quality of the raw wood, before being colored with the pigment "Aigunjō" (Prussian blue), is also deeply captivating.
The way Yazaki's sculptures shift in appearance depending on the light and viewing angle is one of their defining characteristics.
The answer he arrived at after trying various dyes was "Aigunjō" (Prussian blue), a natural pigment used in Japanese painting, similar to the indigo found in jeans.
He tested the color fixation and changes by applying the same pigment to scraps of cypress wood.
Yazaki and the indigo-blue "Urusuodok," which surprisingly complements the veranda of a traditional Japanese house.
Yazaki's hands, thick, rugged, and conveying warmth. He smiled shyly at the photographer's comment, "They look just like Ryuichi Sakamoto's hands."
In the bright, warm living room of his home, where even the houseplants grow vigorously.
Sayori Wada, after finishing her live painting and interview in the atelier.
She used natural indigo, diluted with water in a shot glass, as paint. Depth was achieved by subtly adjusting the shade and water content.
"I draw at my desk, or on the floor. Freestyle is my way. Today, for the interview, I used an easel for clarity (laughs)," says Wada.
Because she tends to get paint on her clothes during creation, she often wears easy-to-move-in, casual clothes like T-shirts and jeans. "Lately, I've also been enjoying overalls that look like workwear."
Wada paints without hesitation, without pause. Her overwhelming speed in creating artwork is astonishing.
Her brushstrokes are swift, precise, and powerful. Simple motifs like straight lines, curves, and geometric shapes are repeated and arranged with a near-constant rhythm. All motifs are said to be extracted from Levi's® jeans.
The first stage of creation is complete. After allowing the indigo to settle and rest, observing its changing hues and expressions, she moves on to the finishing touches.
Wada's usual workspace is a shared office filled with diverse artists. "For smaller pieces, I usually work at this desk."
She keeps files of her past works, as well as lettering and doodles drawn during meetings.
Wada answers questions directly, looking the interviewer in the eye with clear, crisp articulation. It mirrored the efficient, unhesitating movements she displayed during creation.
Wada's hands, stained with indigo.
"THE TWO HORSES," created through drying and fixing the indigo, with bleeding and layering effects to achieve a three-dimensional depth.
Witnessing the color changes, which seemed almost alive, Wada became completely captivated by indigo.
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Fine Art by Sculptor Ryosuke Yazaki and Illustrator Sayori Wada | Levi's® Made & Crafted™ Gallery

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