Innocent, vulnerable, pure, elegant. These are the creatures born from the visionary mind of Japanese wood carver Yoshimasa Tsuchiya. As a young student, his teachers and classmates understood him best through his artwork, and in college, Yoshimasa continued exploring various media: clay, metals, stone, and finally, woodcarving, the latter hitting the artist’s sweet spot.

Venturing further into woodcarving, Yoshimasa Tsuchiya strayed from representational works and began creating motifs born from his imagination. Much of the artist’s work is life-sized, which means he’s adept at wielding tools such as chainsaws, hand saws, electric drills, hammers, and sharp knives.

Artist Statement:
I started making animal motifs with...