MADARA MANJI

He produces simple and modern sculpture through mastering Mokume-gane, a traditional Japanese toreutic technique. The development of Mokume-gane began c.400 years ago in the early Edo period. Layers of different metals were stacked together to create exquisite patterns that were decorated on Samurai swords, to symbolise beauty and power. As the Samurai culture faded, the procedure-heavy and time-consuming ‘Mokume-gane’ nearly disappeared, that was until the recent collections and studies conducted by international art museums brought the technique back onto the world stage. Above all, Madara Manji is a pioneer in first adopting the traditional craft as a method to create.

Madara Manji’s works are made of a mixture of various materials. The three-dimensional works, which are formed by repetitively beating and mixing mainly metal materials, are clothed in abstract painting-like patterns, which represent the complexities of the human mind.

The multiple materials contained in his cube works interfere with each other, and there is both repulsion and sympathy. While the equilibrium between the two is exquisitely maintained, the different species inherent in each other form their own unique visuals.The representation of work, which is based on a dangerous balance that seems to be about to collapse, seems to embody human beings themselves as they continue to struggle in the midst of modern society.

In his works, Madara Manji expresses the complexity and fascination of the human psyche, where emotions, experiences, ethics, instincts, and various other factors blend together.