miniature woodcarvings of urban youths by tomoaki suzuki

miniature woodcarvings of urban youths by tomoaki suzuki
all images courtesy of corvi-mora

tomoaki suzuki
the art institute of chicago, chicago
now through october 20, 2013

japanese artist tomoaki suzuki handcrafts tiny wooden portraits of urbanites, documenting contemporary culture through the traditional craft of japanese woodcarving. the miniscule figures are representations of current trends, adorned in fashionable clothes, tattoos, and funky hairstyles. each of the doll-like miniatures, which measure approximately 50 cm in size, have been modeled after an actual person — suzuki studies and photographs the individual in various poses and angles, taking precise measurements of their body. he then scales their dimensions down to one third their size before meticulously chiseling their form out of a wooden block and coloring the carving with acrylic paint.

the extraordinarily life-like sculptures employ the traditional japanese techniques and tools from the woodcarving era. however, suzuki’s current exhibit at the art institute in chicago signifies a shift his practice — the five diminutive figures on display are his first works to be executed in bronze.

visitors interact with the miniature sculptures

nia on the bluhm family terrace at the art institute of chicago

by working in a small scale, suzuki is able to focus his attention on the nuances of the figures in a way that would not be possible in a larger format. towering over the tiny portraits, the viewer is asked to intimately examine the apparel, expressions, and small details present each hyper-realistic form.

installation view of tomoaki suzuki’s miniature sculptures

a view of the figures’ miniature scale against the chicago skyline

 
takeshi and zezi on the terrace of the art institute in chicago

emma stands tall (or small)

zezi
 

emma
front and side views

takashi
front and back view

carson
front and side view

tomoaki suzuki
was born in mito, japan in 1972.
he attended tokyo zokei university (1992-1997) before receiving MA fine art at goldsmiths’ college, london (1998-1999), and MA sculpture at city & guilds art school, london (2000-2002).
suzuki lives and works in london.

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