A New Frontier for Wood Artist Shoji Morinaga. What Is “Uchiguri”—the Act of Creating Space Within a Work?

Shoji Morinaga, a woodworker who enjoys great popularity both in Japan and abroad.

A new solo exhibition titled “After the Hollow,” offering a glimpse into a new phase of the artist’s career, will be held.

Inspired by an interest in “inner space”—which emerged during the creative process—this exhibition features works that have evolved into new forms of artistic expression, drawing on the techniques and sensibilities cultivated through the artist’s previous creations of bowls and bases.

The following is a statement from the artist.

“As I worked on pieces for this exhibition, I began creating works that were slightly larger than my previous ones. Since I handle everything from production to packing and shipping on my own, weight is an unavoidable challenge. That’s why I had to hollow out the interior of the pieces to make them lighter. The stool with holes in it was also born from that idea. As I repeated the process of hollowing out the interiors of several pieces, I began to feel a charm—one that cannot be fully explained in words—in the deep, hollowed-out spaces I created.”

Hollowing out was not merely a process to lighten the piece; it was also an act of creating space within it. How could that space be given form? This question gave rise to this series of jar-like works. It was precisely because of the experience gained through the repetitive work involved in creating bowls and bases that these forms, carved down to such thinness, emerged quite naturally. Perhaps these works were not created by shaping the exterior. Rather, they are the contours left behind after continuously carving away the interior.”

Whether you’ve encountered Morinaga’s work before or haven’t yet, we invite you to experience the warmth and tenderness of wood, as well as the artist’s creativity.