In Japan, this is how B-BOY is perceived

—Sculptures inspired by B-BOY are quite rare worldwide, aren't they?

TAKU OBATAThat's true. There's a lot of graffiti, though.

People often comment on the interesting clothing and poses, but I feel it's built upon a solid foundation.

I thought it would be interesting to have B-BOY sculptures, so I switched my major to sculpture in my second year of prep school. I passed the first stage of the entrance exam for Geidai (Tokyo University of the Arts), and since passing the first stage made prep school half-price as a scholarship student, I ended up studying for three years before finally being accepted.

—Even within Tokyo University of the Arts, the sculpture department is particularly competitive.

TAKU OBATAWhen I applied, the competition ratio was about 20 to 1. The sculpture entrance exam was very simple, requiring only drawing and modeling. In the end, those three years at prep school were incredibly intense. I did a tremendous amount of drawing and modeling.

I feel very fortunate. I decided early on that I wanted to create sculptures inspired by B-BOY, so I entered a university environment where I could pursue that without hesitation.

Furthermore, by using wood carving, I further distinguished myself from others. There's also the Japanese element. In my early work, I also used FRP, but B-BOY is an American culture, and it wouldn't be interesting to express it with American materials. Wood carving was something nobody else was doing, and I thought it would be an original expression of 'This is how B-BOY is perceived in Japan.' I call myself a B-BOY sculptor as a way to deliberately put myself out there and hold myself accountable.

—Your experience with dance must also be a strength.

TAKU OBATAI know what kind of movements I like and what looks cool, so I strive to create my ideal pieces. Although there are some poses that are difficult to replicate even if I try, they are anatomically plausible. I'm still involved in a performance group called "HIPHOP SENSHI B-BOYGER" with MC JINGI (GERU-C Kakka), which formed from UNITYSELECTIONS. If I hadn't danced, I wouldn't have pursued sculpture, and I wouldn't have known what I wanted to create.

Page02.I've always been hesitant about figures

I've always been hesitant about figures

—In 2014, you held a solo exhibition at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York. Grammy Award-winning music producerSwizz Beatzalso purchased your work.

—In Japan, too,Utamaru of Rhymesterfrequently introduces your work in the media.

TAKU OBATAMy older brother was a longtime backup dancer for Rhymester,and he even appeared in the music video for "B-BOY ISM" (1998).So, at an event, my brother introduced us, and when I told him I was a B-BOY sculptor, he was like, 'Awesome!' and came to my first solo exhibition. He introduced me on the first week of "Keiko Kojima's Kira☆Kira" (March 2009 - March 2012, TBS Radio), and I was also invited to appear on "Tamafuru" (Rhymester Utamaru's Weekend Shuffle, April 2007 - March 2018, TBS Radio).

—Utamaru-san must have been delighted to see a talented artist emerge from the Japanese B-BOY scene.

TAKU OBATAIt was Watari-um that initially suggested making a figure with Medicom Toy. It seems Medicom Toy was already aware of my work.

—Were you familiar with Medicom Toy before this?

TAKU OBATAOf course. I liked figures too.

My first encounter with toys was with the "Kinkeshi" (Kinnikuman Keshi) figures that were popular in kindergarten and elementary school. In high school, 200-yen gashapon (capsule toys) started appearing, and they were surprisingly realistic, which was a shock.

I loved them and bought a huge number, lining them up at home. Even without knowing the characters, I just thought the sculpts were cool. Later, apparel brands started releasing stylish figures, and Medicom Toy released BE@RBRICK, which I found interesting.

NAGAME"), do you ever get involved in the prototype production yourself?

—It's rare for the artist themselves to handle the prototype production.

TAKU OBATANormally, a prototype artist would bring a 2D drawing to life in 3D. That's probably what's new here. With architectural models, you create something small and then scale it up. But this is a scaled-down version of a large existing work that was scanned, so it truly becomes a sculpture.

I've always been hesitant about figures. The company UNBOX has been asking me for a while to make my work into soft vinyl figures, and I created this one knowing it could be made from 3D scan data. It's made of 13 parts, is articulated, and is of very high quality. However, soft vinyl is hollow and sensitive to heat, so the center of gravity tends to shift forward, which is a drawback.

To differentiate it from that, the Medicom Toy version is solid and completely immobile, which is why I consider it a "work of art."

—What kind of discussions did you have with Medicom Toy regarding the production?

TAKU OBATA I told them to output the scanned data as is and to make the colors as close to the original as possible. The first 3D-printed sample was hollow, and I explained that if that were used as the prototype, the shape would change slightly. So, I insisted that it must be done with a solid piece, and the final product should be exactly like the original sculpture.

—By the way, what's the origin of the title "B-GIRL Down Jacket NAGAME"?

TAKU OBATAIt simply means the down jacket is long (laughs). All my other works also have straightforward titles.

—Do you plan to continue this series?

TAKU OBATAOf course. I don't know if they'll be made into figures, but regarding sculptures, I want to work with other materials. I've already worked with bronze, and a French company has been persistently asking me to create ceramic pieces, which I plan to do.

Page03.The absence of a base is crucial for my works

The absence of a base is crucial for my works

TAKU OBATAI believe that digitizing through scanning has opened up many possibilities. Alongside my sculptures, I'm also developing a video project called the "Object Series."

—At Watari-um, you also exhibited video works featuring abstract objects floating gently.

TAKU OBATAThose are also works derived from dance, with a strong emphasis on sculpture. I've pondered why I'm so drawn to dance. The connection between sculpture and dance is, first and foremost, "gravity." When creating something, you inevitably have to confront gravity. Especially as works become larger, you must consider how they will stand and how humans stand.

Michael Jackson's dance in "Billie Jean"MoonwalkYou know, the moonwalk. I saw Masashi Tashiro doing it on "Shimura Ken's Daijoubu Da" years ago, and I was so moved that I practiced it relentlessly until I could do it. I realized it's fascinating because it appears to defy gravity within the context of gravity.

—I see.

TAKU OBATASince my student days, I've wanted to create abstract works alongside figurative ones. I thought it would be interesting to place enlarged objects, like down jackets or shoelaces, next to my figurative sculptures. However, in that case, they would still be sharing the same relationship with gravity simply by being placed there. So, I decided the objects should be in a state of weightlessness. Initially, I would take photos of small wooden objects thrown upwards, capturing their apex just before they fall, thus preserving a moment of weightlessness. The works exhibited at Watari-um were photographs and videos of this process. The video where the objects seem to hover in space is an evolution of the photographs. I built a set and threw objects into it, filming with a 4K high-speed camera called Phantom. By moving the set along with the object as it was thrown, it appeared to stay suspended in space. It's not CGI or a freeze-frame; it's simply footage shot at 400 frames per second, projected onto a wall with a 4K projector. I believe this is a new way of presenting sculpture.

—Indeed, the video was very mesmerizing to watch.

TAKU OBATAAnother element is "space." Dance is ultimately about space. Even if you perform the exact same moves, the perception changes completely depending on whether you're dancing in a club or outdoors. I believe my heightened awareness of spatial perception is definitely connected to my sculpture.

—The idea of "dominating" or "being dominated" in this space, which you mentioned earlier, relates directly to that concept of space, doesn't it?

TAKU OBATAExactly. Considering space is what makes sculpture interesting. When you approach it with the mindset of creating space rather than just a sculpture, your perspective on form naturally evolves.

That's why it's a sculptural work, even though it's a video. Eventually, if we can project in 8K, it will become an even larger expression of sculpture using an entire wall, which I find fascinating.

—So, the appeal of B-BOY, and B-BOY sculpture, lies in gravity and space.

TAKU OBATAAnd also "movement." When you're modeling clay inside a box and it gets bigger, the space becomes smaller. This is essentially carving space. Conversely, if you carve within the same box and the object becomes smaller, the space is being modeled. I used to feel it was a waste to throw away the wood shavings produced during sculpting, so I started burning them in an incinerator. They turn into ash and then return to nature as rain. Disposing of them is the same. The Earth's mass probably doesn't change, so I believe that everything, not just sculpture, is ultimately made of the movement of matter.

Ultimately, it's about movement. I think it's similar to considering body movement.

People who are good at the moonwalk, for example, first fix their heads in place. Parts of the body appearing to be stationary make the movement look cooler. This connects to the strange sensation of a moment suspended in space.

—Thank you. I look forward to your future works.

• TAKU OBATA Official Instagram

B-GIRL Down Jacket NAGAME