2005

Phoenix Wing

Japanese, born 1947

Pushing the boundaries of bamboo art, Kyokusho Tanaka developed an open-weave technique that reflects the Japanese aesthetic for beauty of space but applies it in new ways. Phoenix Wing demonstrates the artist’s experimentation with warp and weft in his woven work. Using a combination of thicknesses and spacing accompanied by rhythmic placement of the bamboo’s nodes (joints that separate each segment), the artist creates an irregular grid that is architectonic. Like a building, each of his baskets is individually designed and fabricated. This reference to architecture is not unusual, given his interest in the juxtaposition of historical and modern design and materials coupled with his reverence for architects Tadao Ando and Osamu Ishiyama.