Satoshi Fujinuma
biography |
portfolio | artists listing
b. 1962, Tokyo, Japan
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
American Association of Woodturners Permanent Collection
Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2011 Inside & Outside The Box, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Flora & Fauna, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Spirit of the Southwest, AAW Gallery of Wood Art, Philadelphia, PA
2008 allTURNatives: Form & Spirit, Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
2004 From Sea to Odyssey, AAW Symposium, Orlando, FL
2001-03 Challenge VI- Roots: Insights & Inspirations in Contemporary Turned Objects, Touring
Philip & Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Collegeville, PA
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
Washington State University Museum of Art, Pullman, WA
Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
The Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, OR
2001 Turned Multiples II, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO and Wood Turning Center,
Philadelphia, PA
Asahi Contemporary Craft Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
2000 Little Bowl Show, Saskatchewan Craft Council, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
1998 Pathways, Cleveland State University Art Gallery, Cleveland, OH
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I am a lathe artist. For me, the lathe-turning is a very important process. Sometimes, the wood lathe gives me the power over my ability with the turning movement. And the turning movement leads me to the special form that is like the Providence of nature.
I am trying to express “Nature”. My objects come from natural forms, textures, colors, etc. I use green wood for material. It allows me to experience life through smell, moisture, hardness, color and warp. This means I am fully conscious of wood being a living organism. As a result of this consciousness, I am able to express “Nature” and the organic forms I am looking for.
I pay attention to the structure and texture of living things. I try to express the character or the atmosphere that I feel in living organisms.
I call my recent objects “Biomimetic Wood Object Series”. The pieces mimic the microscopic natural world. I hope people experience the beauty of nature through my works.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Satoshi Fujinuma has a degree in Environmental Chemistry. After graduating from University, he worked as a ceramics engineer. While traveling in New Zealand in 1993, he witnessed woodturning first hand for the first time. In 1996 he began to teach himself to use a lathe. He started out making functional objects on his lathe, such as bowls and goblets. In 1998, Satoshi’s work was accepted into the American Association of Woodturner’s (AAW) Pathways Exhibition. It was at this event that he came into contact with sculptural objects being made on the lathe, and began to explore sculptural form himself.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
American Association of Woodturners Permanent Collection
Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2011 Inside & Outside The Box, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Flora & Fauna, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Spirit of the Southwest, AAW Gallery of Wood Art, Philadelphia, PA
2008 allTURNatives: Form & Spirit, Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA
2004 From Sea to Odyssey, AAW Symposium, Orlando, FL
2001-03 Challenge VI- Roots: Insights & Inspirations in Contemporary Turned Objects, Touring
Philip & Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Collegeville, PA
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
Washington State University Museum of Art, Pullman, WA
Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
The Schneider Museum of Art, Ashland, OR
2001 Turned Multiples II, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO and Wood Turning Center,
Philadelphia, PA
Asahi Contemporary Craft Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan
2000 Little Bowl Show, Saskatchewan Craft Council, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
1998 Pathways, Cleveland State University Art Gallery, Cleveland, OH
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I am a lathe artist. For me, the lathe-turning is a very important process. Sometimes, the wood lathe gives me the power over my ability with the turning movement. And the turning movement leads me to the special form that is like the Providence of nature.
I am trying to express “Nature”. My objects come from natural forms, textures, colors, etc. I use green wood for material. It allows me to experience life through smell, moisture, hardness, color and warp. This means I am fully conscious of wood being a living organism. As a result of this consciousness, I am able to express “Nature” and the organic forms I am looking for.
I pay attention to the structure and texture of living things. I try to express the character or the atmosphere that I feel in living organisms.
I call my recent objects “Biomimetic Wood Object Series”. The pieces mimic the microscopic natural world. I hope people experience the beauty of nature through my works.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Satoshi Fujinuma has a degree in Environmental Chemistry. After graduating from University, he worked as a ceramics engineer. While traveling in New Zealand in 1993, he witnessed woodturning first hand for the first time. In 1996 he began to teach himself to use a lathe. He started out making functional objects on his lathe, such as bowls and goblets. In 1998, Satoshi’s work was accepted into the American Association of Woodturner’s (AAW) Pathways Exhibition. It was at this event that he came into contact with sculptural objects being made on the lathe, and began to explore sculptural form himself.