Keita Miyazaki, a Japanese artist, draws inspiration from a pivotal moment in his life — the devastating tsunami that struck parts of Japan in 2011. Witnessing the destruction of industrial elements that underpin our highly developed existence, Miyazaki questioned the very foundations of Western societies’ progress. In response, he embarked on a creative journey, breathing new life into discarded car engine components. As a skilled metal welder, he ingeniously combined these obsolete parts into exotic and unsuspecting shapes. But that’s not all — Miyazaki paired them with richly colored origami-inspired works crafted from delicate Japanese paper. The result? A harmonious collision of robustness and fragility, heaviness and lightness.
In his solo exhibition, “Excess of Desire”, hosted at Gallery Rosenfeld, Miyazaki’s sculptures seem to sprout from the floor or emerge gracefully from pedestals. Metal forms, once destined for scrap heaps, now serve as the canvas for intricate origami structures. The honeycomb paper, delicate yet resilient, intertwines with the ruggedness of welded car parts. Each piece embodies dualities — the decorative and the utilitarian, the weighty and the ethereal. Miyazaki’s art invites viewers to contemplate the tension between permanence and impermanence, strength and vulnerability.
Miyazaki’s work transcends mere material transformation; it speaks a language of renewal and metamorphosis. His sculptures evoke curiosity, prompting us to reconsider our relationship with the industrial world. As we marvel at the unexpected beauty arising from discarded remnants, we recognize that desire can find expression even in the most unlikely places. “Excess of Desire” challenges us to see beyond obsolescence — to appreciate the artistry in repurposing and the poetry in unlikely unions. Keita Miyazaki’s fusion of metal and origami invites us to reimagine our own desires, transforming them into something extraordinary.
More info: Instagram (h/t: Gallery Rosenfeld).
