Anonymous Relatives - Archaeologist, installation

Toshihiko Mitsuya works in two and three dimensions, though the artist is particularly known for three-dimensional aluminum foil sculptures. Featuring incredible amounts of fine detail, these sculptures often take the form of figures on horseback, in multiple editions that fill gallery spaces with sculptural armies.

Anonymous Relatives - Gardener, installation

I’m really impressed by Mitsuya’s skill in working with such a delicate material. While the size of the sculptures varies, the larger ones are almost life-sized, and feature an incredible amount of detail. Textures like fur, decorative armour and chain mail are rendered with smooth, patterned forms. In his smaller sculptures, the artist embraces the wrinkled texture of the medium, creating more gestural forms. Some of these twisting metal forms remind me of the sculptures of Choe U-Ram.

The artist’s two-dimensional works are also quite interesting. In these, Mitsuya utilizes stainless steel and lacquer paint to creating shimmering textures on hard surfaces. The result is paintings that seem to change and evolve depending on the viewing angle.

Anonymous Relatives - Gardener (detail view), photo by Shinji Minegishi