APPLE FLASH by 陽介 from japan

This piece is made from a gourd. The base was carved from a log of apple wood. My own hands I planted the seed in the spring and harvested it in the fall. From harvest, it takes a long time for a gourd to become workable material. Working with gourds takes a long time, and not many are made into the semblance of apples.

Not only did it take time, many techniques were required; carving, machining, cutting, burning, polishing, lacquering.

The design, with all lines harmonized and connected, is based on the five petals of the apple blossom. When lit, the lamp emanates a warm glow in a mesmerizing pattern of shadow and light. From beneath the lines, the ghostly image of apples floats towards the viewer. These apples were engraved deep into the gourd, leaving only a thin membrane as to let light dimly shine through.
For us citizens of Hirosaki, apples are a common everyday object. But let’s not forget that it was an apple that was the crux of the story of Adam and Eve, and a vital element to many fairy tales and myths. The apple is indeed a fruit shrouded in mystery.

With such an apple in mind, I aimed to give form to the marvelousness and mysteriousness of apples in this piece.