25863 Isoo Kashiri Wood Carving Stone Bridge

Height 23.8cm
Width 27.2cm
Depth 16.4cm

He has been watching the work of the second-generation Kashiwazato (real name Kenichi), who was also a Nitten artist, since he was a child. He was impressed by how a single piece of lumber quickly took shape, saying it was like magic. With the emotions he felt at the first-generation artist's commemorative exhibition added to this, by the time he graduated from elementary school he had been thinking, "I want to be a sculptor in the future." At Kashiwara High School's art club, he was taught by the club's advisor, the second-generation Kashiwazato's younger brother and uncle, Kanji Sekiguchi, a Nitten artist.

The group "MAY美 (BE)", formed in 1990 by alumni of the Kashiwara High School Art Club, was also a major inspiration for his growth. He worked hard with about 10 members who were dedicated to their work and aimed for the top. "Until then, I never thought I would be able to win a special prize at the Nitten Exhibition. But I was inspired by the other members and started to think I wanted to aim for the special prize." Ten years after the group was formed, they won their first special prize at the Nitten Exhibition, and he says it is "one of my unforgettable memories."

*There may be deterioration and color peeling due to aging.