When musing on the subject of crystals, our mind is bombarded with a number of thoughts, from the metaphysical to the healing powers of this iridescent stone. A mysterious aura surrounds these miracles of nature which can come in a myriad of forms and colours. They are loved for their beauty, hanging in the sun to catch the light and compete with the most brilliant of diamonds, they have been respected for centuries for their powers of healing and in the hands of certain gifted individuals they may give us an insight into what the future holds for us.
Another aspect of the all-powerful crystal may be experienced at Tokyo’s Museum of Contemporary Art where the world renowned artist Tokujin Yoshioka presents us with his solo exhibition, ‘Crystallize’. In this awe inspiring event, he has joined forces with nature through a series of lovingly conducted experiments and has succeeded in creating a series of mind blowing crystalline forms. His work with crystals began over six years ago, a daring attempt to harness and somehow direct the energy through which a crystal takes form has culminating in the impressive selection of crystal clad ‘paintings’, sculpture and furniture of such outstanding beauty and ethereal form as to leave visitors in open mouthed amazement.
Through the sound waves emitted by playing Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, his paintings take on an eerie, ghostly, semi-accidental identity, a work of fusing the hand of man with art and nature. The chair was created through a process of thread submerged in a specially treated liquid and his crystal ‘Rose’ stands proudly, ready to compete with its namesake, as a magnificent sculpture.
The absolute highlight of the exhibition has to be the 12m high ‘Rainbow Church’, which evolved from when, as a young man, he witnessed the spectacle of reflected light through the stained glass windows of the Chapelle du Rosaire, a church designed by Henri Matisse. The design of Rainbow Church is his homage to this structure, built on prisms, his inspirational piece transports us into the realms of the transcendental, it is a piece which fills us with absolute admiration for the artist and his talented manipulations of the wondrous qualities of crystals.
Tokujin Yoshioka is an artist with a global reputation and a background in art and industrial design, his portfolio is packed full of an impressive number of collaborative projects with several well known brands including Issey Miyake and Swarovski. His contributions to Milan’s Salone are eagerly awaited and his experimental art with crystals of which he states: ‘Nature provides us with astonishment that is beyond imagination’, is an element of his work which always surprises in its dynamic energy. A fascinating example of what his has now achieved is there for all to visit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo from the October 3rd 2013 until the January 19th 2014!
