Lot 1632: HAJIME EMOTO

HAJIME EMOTO
(B. 1970)
Arrow Head Lizard; Red Wyvern; Sea Serpent; Asian Dragon; European Basilisk; Dragon Turtle; Human Face Fish; Avaritia/Sebastian; Luxuria/Miguel; Ira/Miguel; Dragon; Dragon Skeleton; Homo pumilus gidoronia (male); Homo pumilus gidoronia (female); & Draconis Smaragdus signed 'H. Emoto' in English (respectively on the reverse of Luxuria Miguel; Ira/Miguel; Avariitia/Sebastian; Homo pumilus gidoronia (male); Homo pumilus gidoronia (female); Draconis Smaragdus; European Basilisk; Arrow Head Lizard); signed and titled 'H. Emoto Red Wyvern' in English (on label on the reverse); dated '2006; 2005;2002;2007;2003' (respectively on the reverse)
fifteen mixed media sculptures
framed sizes: 54 x 34.3 x 10.5 cm. (21 1/4 x 13 1/2 x 4 1/8 in.); 46 x 54 x10.5 cm (18 1/8 x 21 1/4 x 4 1/8 in.); 61.5 x 46.5 x 10.5 cm (24 1/4 x 18 1/4 x 4 1/8 in.); 61.5 x 42 x 10.5 cm (24 1/4 x 16 1/2 x 4 1/8 in.); 54 x 34.3 x 10.3 cm. (21 1/4 x 13 1/2 x 4 in.); 54 x 42 x 10.5 cm (21 1/4 x 16 1/2 x 4 1/8 in.); 30.5 x 43 x 10.5 cm (12 x 17 x 4 1/8 in.); 42 x 32.7 x 10.5 cm (16 1/2 x 12 7/8 x 4 1/8 in.); 42.5 x 30.5 x 10.5 cm (16 3/4 x 12 x 4 1/8 in.); 37 x 26.5 x 10.5 cm. (14 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 4 1/8 in.) ; 53 x 45.5 x 8.5 cm (20 7/8 x 17 7/8 x 3 3/8 in.); 53 x 45.7 x 9 cm (20 7/8 x 18 x 3 1/2 in.); 33 x 42 x 9.7 cm. (13 x 16 1/2 x 3 3/4 in.); 33 x 42 x 9.8 cm (13 x 16 1/2 x 3 7/8 in.); 43 x 30.7 x 9.5 cm. (17 x 12 x 3 3/4 in.)
Executed in 2002-2007 (15)

Tokyo, Japan, Gallery Tomos, Hajime Emoto, 16-27 September, 2003 (Arrow Head Lizard & Red Wyvern exhibited).
Yokohama, Japan, Gallery Motomachi, H. Emoto Exhibition-Creatures of Illusion, 5- 11 April, 2004 (Sea Serpent, Aslan Dragon, European Basilisk, Dragon Turtle & Human Face Fish exhibited).
Tokyo, Japan, Gallery Aoki, Seven Deadly Sins, 2-16 February, 2006 (Avaritia/Sebastian, Luxuria/Miguel & Ira/Miguel exhibited).
Tokyo, Japan, Gallery Aoki, Augen, 10-22 July, 2006. (Dragon & Dragon Skeleton exhibited).
Tokyo, Japan, Gallery Aoki, Professor H's Love for Fantastic Creatures, 3-15 March, 2008 (Homo pumilus gidoronia (male), Homo pumilus gidoronia (female) & Draconis Smaragdus exhibited).

Parol-sha, Genjiu Hyohon Saishushi, Tokyo, Japan, 2006 (illustrated, pp. 16-20, 27, 80, 96, 110 & 114).
Kobunsha, Shinkaron Freak Out Collection, Tokyo, Japan, 2006 (illustrated, unpaged & pp. 6, 15, 185 & 363).
'Specimens of Phantasmal animals', in Mex Magasin, Zurich, Switzerland, November, 2007 (illustrated, pp. 24-25 & 27).

Beginning with the sculpting of anatomical features, Hajime Emoto invests himself in the exquisite rendering of each individual creature's distinctive body, but his talent lies not only in his craftsmanship but his ability to invoke a fully imaginary environment for his creatures. Emoto effectively draws the viewer into the world by describing critical details such as the amphibian's movement, its defensive tactics and even mating habits. Each story is told with such imaginative qualities that, although entirely fictitious, Emoto's scientific specimens appear frightfully and oddly familiar as if having existed perhaps, in decades or centuries past. Examining this cabinet of curiosities, Emoto's creations allow us to wonder if the small alley between city buildings or the park around the corner houses such obscure and mythical creatures.

Trained in traditional Japanese lithography, Emoto quickly tired of two dimensional works became fascinated with the concrete sensation of hand crafting 'specimens' much like those found in science museums. The antiquated display of his work befittingly draws associations with the artists Emoto admires, such as Francisco Goya, Leonardo da Vinci and Hieronymous Bosch. Delicately folding and gluing bone structures, teeth and skulls from paper, Emoto builds the body first, followed with the tedious application of one paper scale after another. Fishes, dragons and reptiles are then stained with colour while other creatures are carefully attached with dried leaves which Emoto segments accordingly to ultimately present works of varied biological classification. Emoto's creations describe a world of mythology and fables only thought to exist in children's books. Yet, when we are confronted with its physical presence, we cannot help but question whether they each are a sliver of evidence for a true existence.