Elements and principles used in Japanese art and sculptures

This article will discuss the art elements and principles used in the sculptures of Japan.

One of the most prominent features of Japanese culture is the peaceful nature that it shares with its people.

Whether traveling through a small seaside town in the country side or having a beer in a bar in the city, most foreigners end up having a good time with Japanese people. Many Japanese people in their everyday lives end up talking to others with no problem as it is more like socializing rather than being forced to speak to the other person.

So when Japanese people are all together, the air is filled with the cheerful expression, the smiling faces, and the nodding of the head.

This is not the kind of greeting where you can only understand when you get the next to the other person. It’s just a type of interaction that you are in no way forced to participate in.

This is especially true when you are with other Japanese people who share the same views.

So what is the style of art that they put on display in their houses, temples and gardens?

The simple answer to that is that it’s a lot of lightness. Japanese people are very much into the idea of showing nature as something beautiful instead of one of burden.

As a nation, the art of Japan comes naturally from having a fairly small yet very rich land with a relatively sunny environment. The positive environment combined with the culture of harmony and serenity really showcases the best art from Japan.

It’s not just art at the Japanese culture and arts schools of the JPA (Japan Art Academy). There are artists out there who just happen to be born in Japan but are well known throughout the world.

One example of an artist in this specific category is the very talented Matsumoto Muneyuki who’s a traditional wood carving who’s been nominated several times for the prestigious SIGGRAPH Award in the category of Innovative Graphics.

Muneyuki doesn’t have the usual type of studio in his workshop but instead a small shed that’s close to his home in the mountainous Japanese part of Nagano.

Muneyuki’s work is based on a traditional way of carving wood by sawing by hand. He has to make very precise cuts so that when the wood is pulled apart it won’t have the same shape like he made originally.

It took him over 50 years to perfect his art of wood carving.

“The age of this workshop can be counted in the thousands of years. The tools, the chisels and the saws are the same tools that my father used to use. All I do is to maintain the tradition and create new art works.”

His wood carvings looks like sculpture that could be in a museum rather than being a living being.

If you have the chance to visit the Matsumoto Muneyuki studio in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, you should definitely take advantage of the opportunity.

What kinds of materials are used?

Before the middle of the Nara period (7th century), wood and bronze were the materials that were commonly used in the creation of wooden statues.

Due to the scarcity of bronze, wood was used because it was durable and of relatively high quality.
However, with time, the materials of bronze and wood were improved such that neither the durability nor the quality of bronze was hindered.

The quality of wood was also enhanced, and so that many wooden statues were made.

In some ways, the use of one wood over another was dictated by the appearance of the wood and the skill of the sculptor.

The two main types of wood used are "Nakano" (southern Japanese cypress) and "Kishidai" (Japanese cypress). The kishidai wood has a much richer color and a much softer texture.

In most cases, both kishidai and nakano were used.

Older "Nakano" wood has black grayish black color, while "Kishidai" wood has red color. Like all wood, the wood had to be carefully worked to get the most out of the beautiful traits of the wood.

In addition, the materials used in making a statue's feet had to be taken into account as well.

Using a diverse range of materials and combining them in ways that are pleasing to the eye was a key to the artistic creation of "yamato-e". The art of yamato-e was based on wood, metal, and lacquer.

"Nakano" is the most popular wood for making small Japanese pieces. It was mostly used because of its firmness and durability. It was used for plaques, folding screens, and pottery, and it was also used for swords and spears.

The name of a small statue from "Nakano" is usually written as "harada-sekitori" ("harada" and "sekitori" being Japanese words meaning "chestnut") or "harada" ("Nakano" and "sekitori").

Sometimes they are also called "miyatama" ("yamato", meaning Japanese cypress) or "shijū", meaning "fan".

The decorative patterns on "Nakano" were famous during the Edo period.

"Kishidai" is very resistant to weather, so it was used for carvings. This wood is especially hard and strong, and had also been known to crack on a regular basis, causing the wooden statue to break in two.

Sometimes "Kishidai" would crack just because of improper finishing, because the artwork was not well matched to the tree.

The Japanese "kiriko" (葵石) stone was often used as a raw material as well.