I'm working on a boulder stone

December 2010
work for LondonI'm working hard drilling on large boulder stones that are around 3 tons a piece.
I'm making sculptures for Amabiki and London which concept is "Forest - planet".
Working is very hard and also daingerrous, because I try to drill into the center of a stone from many points on round surface, it's very slippery and also a rock drill is very heavy.
I had sliped and falled from a stone a few weeks before, and I injured knee and shin. So I could not work a week.
The other side of reality, the boulder stone is very dangerous if we do something break on a shape, stone has something spirit inside. especially boulder stone has very strong spirit itself. We are surely injured if our spirit falled behind the spirit of stone. So we always must have a very strong spirit and will.
Anyway, I would like to finsh these works on the first of January for Amabiki, and the first of February for London. Oh my god !


I moved my house.

the 27th of September 2010.
I moved house to new place where is the same city and locates near Tsukuba mountain.
There are some ponds in front of house and many cherry trees around ponds, it's very famous point here for cherry-blossom viewing in Spring.
There are many anglers on Sunday who try to fish black bass and some other fishes by lure and fly. I'm going to fish someday.
in front of house


I cameback Japan from UK

the 16th of August 2010.
I left from Edinburgh on the 15th noon. And I arrived at Narita airport before noon on the next day.
Although my exhibition is still going, I finished almost everything what I set out to enjoy in Scotland this time. Anyway I did many things, installing exhibition's works, exhibition's opening, many days fishing, talkshow at the Pier art center, stone workshop in Orkney and so on.
By the way, I felt scottish summer was enough cold for me, I wore down waistcoat all the time, and long underwear sometimes. It was around 36 degrees centigrade and so humid when I arrived Narita airport, and also Tsukuba bus terminal temperature was 39.8 degrees. I've forgotten Japanese summer for two years, but it's real summer.
I'm sure that Scottish people are very difficult to live here in summertime even I.


"Faraway mountain" Solo Exhibition on Edinburgh Art Festival

Faraway noubtain Forest

2010.7.29 - 9.30.
On the 29th 2010, My exhibition titled "Faraway mountain" opened at Corn Exchange Gallery and the Gayfield Square Gardens on Edinburgh Art Festival.

I'm visiting Edinburgh again from the 25th of July. All works was installed for three days, and the preview of the exhibition at Corn Exchange gallery have had on the 28th evening.
I didn't know preview's time and date exactly, therefore I didn't inform preview's date and time to acquaintances. But many people came and saw my works, and we talked about sculptures.
Almost all Exhibition in Edinburgh Art Festival started on the 29th.

Please peruse Exhi page. go to Exhibition Page



"Milestone project" exhibition
at Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Pier Art Center in Orkney

March 2010.
I visited UK for "STONE project" exhibition's oppening reception at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.Forest- planet
It's very nice exhibition and of course wonderful location. I met a lot of friends in YSP that we had completed each sculpture together at the Edinburgh college of Art last summer. I was so glad to meet Jake, Laura, Carlos, Gerard, Jessica, Sibylle, Peter, David and Tommy.

Next day, I went to Edinburgh to see the Corn Exchange gallery and meet gallery director and publicity director. One days before the exhibition's opening, I met Caroline who is Corn Exchange gallery director at YSP, and she made a proposal of my show in the gallery and also Gayfield Square Gardens in the midddle of Edinburgh from the end of July this year. It's very nice proposal for me. So I went Edinburgh to see the gallery and the spaces, I thought I want to show my works at there.
Anyway we have not so much time left before exhibition's open. So we must transport all sculptures from my studio as soon as possible what we want to show. I'm very glad to have my show in Edinburgh.

I visited London a day before I leave UK. I stayed Mr. Rod house.
The last day, I had meeting about a exhibition at the College of Art in London, with Chris who is the director of the University of the Arts London, Ant who is director of the Sdney Nolan Trust and Rod who is artist and also art director of the Sdney Nolan Trust, at the University of the Arts London where is in Chelsea College of Art.
Finally, we concluded that I'll have my sculpture's show at the Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Art adjacent to Tate Britain next spring.
I had a lot of progress about my show since my gallery in Tokyo had closed. I had been thinking before I visited UK this time that I would be a nomal tourist after the exhibigtion's opening in YSP, it would be also no so bad. Because I didn't have any schedules after YSP when I was in Japan.
It's amazing!. I'm so grateful and appreciate to all people who I met in UK. I'm very busy now, but it's all right.

"Milestone project" Exhibition moves to Pier Art Center in Orkney from June till August.



Gallery Yamaguchi closes on the end of January 2010, and -----.

Jun 2010.
Gallery Yamaguchi that has been driving force behind the Art situation in Japan closes down on the end of January with debts.
The story of it is not so uncommon in Japan recently. But this time, the news is added more thing that the director of the gallery had been killed gave us a great shock.
Ms. Yamaguchi who was director and owner of the gallery loved the Art and artists, so she was killed herself by couldn't bear up herself.
May her soul rest in peace.



Copyright © Atsuo Okamoto