ARTIST STATEMENT
Twenty-seven years ago,
I was inspired by the traditional Japanese metal forging technique and started to create my artwork.
By mastering how to use the striking technique using my whole body freely, I could also acquire sharp eyes to see myself.
My creative process starts with the "sphere".
In the process, the "sphere" becomes like a crystal reflecting me.
Then, it becomes fluid and keeps transforming.
The "sphere" transforms, reflecting diverse Japanese gods,such as the god of fire, the god of water, and the god of the mountains.
Therefore, my creative process is a ritual act enshrining the self and the gods for me.
Hirofumi Tomimori
When you see Tomimori's work, viewers are first amazed at its free and bold form. From the starting point of the sphere, it draws a distorted spiral twisting itself. The three-dimensional aluminum form which he creates using traditional technique of forging is vibrant and moves like one energy body. Each stroke hit down by the artist left a mark on the surface of the aluminum and gently reflects the light. The iron square pillar which supports it is covered with red rust. It does not bounce the light and gently absorb it standing quietly. This contrast of his work reminds viewers, light and darkness, movement and stillness, yin and yang, consciousness and unconsciousness, curve and straightness, and so on.I was inspired by the traditional Japanese metal forging technique and started to create my artwork.
By mastering how to use the striking technique using my whole body freely, I could also acquire sharp eyes to see myself.
My creative process starts with the "sphere".
In the process, the "sphere" becomes like a crystal reflecting me.
Then, it becomes fluid and keeps transforming.
The "sphere" transforms, reflecting diverse Japanese gods,such as the god of fire, the god of water, and the god of the mountains.
Therefore, my creative process is a ritual act enshrining the self and the gods for me.
Hirofumi Tomimori
Tomimori quit his job at the age of 24 and went on a solo trip. While traveling, he was guided by his inner voice, and met an old swordsmith. Tomimori wanted to become like him. However, the road to be a swordsmith never opened to him. After that, he was encountered with the technique called forging. He had the intuition that he could acquire the technique to express himself freely through this technique. Since then, Tomimori, a self-taught artist without academic art education, has worked on metal in the field of architecture and interior design, learning what his own expression is.
By repeating the act of "hammering", Tomimori tries to increase his body’s superiority to enter the realm beyond consciousness and become a free being for his creation. He says, "Freedom from consciousness activates `the internal dynamic space’. In this realm, everything is fluid with no definite shapes and so vibrant.”
His words remind Rilke’s “World innerspace”. The innerspace of the world penetrates everything, making the outside be inside and the inside be outside. By hitting, Tomimori faces the material in front of his eyes, looking, touching, and feeling it. The thing that exists in his internal dynamic space has no shape, but he gives it a shape and brings it back to the outside. Consequently, the movement is fixed at the moment he gives it a shape. However, viewers definitely can feel the vibration which resists to be fixed from his work. Therefore, the viewer's five senses confronting his work are stimulated, and can have a glimpse of the world where boundaries are ambiguous.
For him, the creation is like an urge as a living creature to return to one source where there is a vast space without boundaries.
Profile
TOMIMORI HITOFUMIBorn 1970, Kagawa, Japan.
2000, Establised Sumida Ward Higashi komagata Studio
Main exhibitions.
2023, -THE UNIVERSE- Honen-in Temple
2022, -INTANGIBLE- Honen-in Temple
2021, -gravity II- Honen-in Temple
2020, -gravity- Honen-in Temple
2019, -FREE FALL- spectrum gallery
2007, -BEGINNING- The Nippon gallery NY
2003, -A passage-The Nippon gallery NY
Main group exhibitions, art fairs
2022, The 97th Kokuten, Tokyo, Japan
2021, The 96th Kokuten, Tokyo, Japan
2020, The 94th Kokuten, Tokyo, Japan
2019, The 93th Kokuten, Tokyo, Japan
2017, The 91th Kokuten, Tokyo, Japan
2015, The 89th Kokuten, Tokyo, Japan
2014, The 88th Kokuten, Tokyo, Japan
2012, The 86th Kokuten, Tokyo, Japan
2007, Two Person Show,Nippon Gallery, NY, U.S.A.
2003, Two Person Show,Nippon Gallery, NY, U.S.A.
Awards
2023, The 87th Kagawa Prefecture Art Exhibition
Three-dimensional" Section
Kagawa Prefecture Governor's Prize
2012, The 86th Kokuten Award for Emerging
2014, The 88th Kokuten Honorble Mention
2015, The 89th Kokuten Merit Award