akira kamada | compositions in wood

opening night | wednesday april 6, 6–8pm
exhibition | april 6-26, 2011

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“All my works reflect my concern with the impact of human behaviour on the natural environment, and my hope for everyone to see the beauty around us, even in the least expected places,” says Akira Kamada. It’s natural therefore that Kamada should use recycled materials, principally wood, in this collection of two and three- dimensional artworks.

His latest show brings together themes that the artist has been working on for several years as well as new pieces that explore the tension between a man-made material – in this case, stems of sanded plywood with rounds of recycled sheoak. Kamada says he found the combination of the grain of the plywood and the natural softness of the sheoak very appealing and the two together fuse into a new organism, that despite its apparent lack of malleability, appears to stretch and grow.

Kamada’s inspiration comes from all around him in the shape of found objects, both manmade and natural, that he encounters in his local environment. From the bush, near his home, come samples of bark, nuts and seeds, some partially eaten by possums. These are arranged in trays or frames and serve to highlight the infinite richness and variety of nature; the multiple shapes, colours and patterns of objects that might otherwise seem identical on first inspection.

Of the artist’s three-dimensional work, it is the interlocking wooden frames that are, perhaps, most familiar. Kamada says he enjoys the variety of texture and scale, whether using chop sticks or large structural timbers from demolished homes. These sculptures are constantly changing depending on your perspective and interpretation. “Each one represents the inner structure of various emotional or social states, such as love, family, society,” explains Kamada. Our complex relationships with out families and friends, our society and our planet find their physical representation in the artist’s beautifully crafted pieces. These are poetic and lyrical works that surely go right to the heart of what makes us human.

Akira Kamada has appeared in a number of prestigious sculpture shows, including the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize and has been regularly selected for Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi. In 2008, he was chosen for the Clitheroe Foundation Emerging Artists Mentorship Program.

Kate Hopkinson-Pointer
GALLERY@28
0402 144 350
khp@galleryat28.com.au

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Donna Smullen: Written on the Body
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