Кейсуке Танака
田中圭介

source: spoon-tamago

While researching a number of posts this week I stumbled upon the work of sculptor Keisuke Tanaka. Taking large blocks of wood, Tanaka meticulously whittles them down – occasionally preserving the original surface while sometimes leaving no trace at all – to reveal a blend of realistic and imaginary landscapes.

The result is dynamic wooden sculptures that often depict forests, mountains and clouds, reaching high towards the sky. At times almost pagoda-like, the wooden sculptures aren’t without spiritual imagery. A small temple, nestled within the busy landscape, is a reoccurring motif in Tanaka’s work. His curvy, rhythmical clouds are also reminiscent of ancient legends and fairytales that would feature gods and deities. Tanaka uses a variety of wood, from camphor to maidenhair, and then colors in his landscapes using acrylics.
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source: designer-daily

Designer Daily is a place for designers to find inspiration, resources, and thoughts on design. It is maintained by Mirko Humbert, a Swiss graphic and web designer who lives and work in the South of China. The best way to stay up-to-date is to subscribe to the RSS feed for free. You can also connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Behance or Pinterest. Guest articles are also welcome on Designer Daily, just contact us if you want to write a post or two.
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source: gnantde

Keisuke Tanaka takes a distinctive approach in wood sculpture and creates natural landscapes. He delicately carves and paints his works until they appear almost pastoral at first glance. However, he considers mountains, one of his most frequently used motifs, as the place where life begins and terminates, while his work deeply deals with life and death as the central theme. Tanaka says: ‘The scenery carved in the artwork invites the viewer into himself. As well as feeling the flourishing woods before him, the viewer would look down at himself hiking on the trail. I intend to make my work an instrument to have a view of one’s life from birth to death, seeing a mountain trail as human life’.