Ikkei NINJO
KODAMA

We chose KODAMA (コダマ) as the title of this exhibition—a word that holds many meanings: the spirit or soul of a tree; an echo calling back from the mountains; the “little treasures” that beloved children are to their parents.

Surrounded by wood since birth, woodturner Ikkei Ninjo has spent more than twenty years making wooden vessels. We envisioned a joyful and special exhibition—one that only Ikkei could create.

The journey from log to finished vessel takes more than ten years. Along the way, some pieces prove difficult to shape into vessels because of scars, cracks, or irregularities in their growth. Much of this wood is set aside, never to be seen by others. Rather than discarding these pieces, Ikkei has kept them close for many years. In this exhibition, these “useless” blocks of wood take centre stage.

We invited him to explore larger forms using this wood, drawing on the processes, techniques, and tools he uses to cut large logs into smaller pieces for the lathe. The resulting sculptures reveal a quiet attentiveness to the nature of each tree, as though he were listening for a voice from the mountains where it grew.

This is Ikkei Ninjo’s first exhibition of sculptural objects. We warmly invite you to visit.

Ikkei NINJO
Born in Kurashiki in 1986. After graduating from high school, he began assisting his father, Yoshikatsu Ninjo, and in the process decided to devote his own life to making wooden vessels.