Ryosuke Yazaki is a Japanese sculptor. Grandson of the renowned sculptor Torao Yazaki, the younger Yazaki is himself considered a master carver as well. His work is renowned within both the art and design worlds; in both Japan and the West. Born in Tokyo in 1965, Yazaki began his education studying art at Japan’s Nihon University before pursuing further education in the United Kingdom. Evoking the work of seminal sculptors such as Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Isamu Noguchi, Yazaki’s often-diminutive works convey a sense of mysterious magnetism.

Switching between clay, terracotta and wood, Ryosuke Yazaki is particularly drawn to Japanese materials like the fragrant Hinoki and Camphor woods. Yazaki’s sculptures are transcendental handmade forms from carved wood, clay and terracotta. These are visceral sculptures more easily experienced than described: organic spherical forms conjoined by sinuous joints; clusters of geode-like shapes that evoke unknown extra-terrestrial worlds; and enigmatic terracotta works that could be relics unearthed from an ancient civilization.

In describing works, the artist has stated: “Looking at something – and having something appear in the space around that object – is the true strength and spirit of the artwork. It is not in what you see, but what appears in the absent space, as well as what you feel from the invisible entity within each piece that brings it to life“.

In 2018, The Future Perfect and Yazaki presented Mikakiuchi, which can be translated in English as “courtyard of the shrine” or more loosely, “sculpture and space.”The pieces, presented in Ichii, Sequoia and Hinoki woods, as well as terracotta, embody a variety of forms from more traditional looking sculptural monoliths to sinuous and amoebic-seeming cryptograms. Each of the one-of-a-kind pieces is rich with vivid color, and offer a singular emotional resonance -- evoking the human experience and its visceral complexity.

Yazaki’s sculptures, despite their often modest size, exude an enigmatic magnetism that transcends cultural boundaries. His choice of materials, ranging from clay to Japanese woods like Hinoki and Camphor, adds depth to his creations. An intriguing facet of his process is the use of abstract computer-generated design drawings, which metamorphose into tangible, celestial forms in his hands. Yazaki’s art invites viewers not only to see but also to explore the spaces between and beyond his sculptures. These works are a testament to the profound union of materiality and emptiness, evoking timeless emotions and universal connections.