Japanese artist Tanabe Chikuunsai IV has weaved recycled bamboo together into colossal works that look like emerging out from walls and ceilings in twisted forms. The artist used black bamboo and tiger bamboo along with several other organic materials to design this impressive sculpture. He moistened each piece to bend the sturdy material in order to get the right curve. Read more about how the artist weaved out this stunning installation below at SURFACES REPORTER (SR):
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An Age-Old Bamboo Weaving Method
Tanabe had been exposed to bamboo since his childhood as his family has practiced bamboo weaving for decades. His father, grandfather, and great grandfather all had been involved in this traditional craft technique for years named this hollow-circular bamboo creation Chikuunsai, which translates to “bamboo cloud”.
The bamboo installation designed by the artist is huge in scale as it winds across rooms, extending dozens of feet into the air, and coiled around support beams.
Tanabe says that he felt art while seeing the basket woven by his grandfather. He learned the traditions of bamboo-weaving very early in his childhood and still continues to use it in various of his art installations.
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Use of Recycled Bamboo
The artist recycles the same pieces of bamboo in several of his installations. Earlier, in 2017, the artist designed a site-specific piece labeled “The Gate at The Metropolitan Museum of Art” employing a 10-times used tiger bamboo. The artist combines light and dark colored bamboo that merges and binds showcasing the materiality and void of the artwork. the project covers the entire room with its entwined floor-to-ceiling installation.
Tanabe pursued his graduation from the art course at Osaka City Kogei high school. Soon after finishing it, he joined the Fine Arts Department of Tokyo University of the Arts to study sculpture.
There he learned to weave, assemble, and design bamboo sculptures using black bamboo. The artist currently resides in Sakai, near Osaka, and will display his artwork at the Baur Foundation in Geneva from November 16, 2021, to March 27, 2022. You can see more of his amazing works on his Instagram.
Time-Lapse Video of Tanabe Chikuunsai’s Bamboo Art Installation
Project Details
Project Name: Woven Bamboo Installations
Artist: Tanabe Chikuunsai Iv
Photo Courtesy: Galerie Mingei
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