Analogue Life

EN | JP

Rokusho no Ban (Verdigris Plate) / material: Copper / size:W70cm x H50cm

Taiki Sugishima's Verdigris Plate series can be considered a foundational work for the metalware artist, and the current works mark the first time he has produced the series in such a large dimension.

During the cold winter months, a rust-inducing solution is sprayed onto the surface and the plate is left outdoors, allowing the verdigris to slowly develop. Over the course of about two years, these patterns and layers gradually changed—forming a natural landscape of abstract beauty.

The surface color may continue to shift with the seasons, as the metal absorbs moisture or dries out. We hope you will see these changes as a natural part of the work’s character.

Note: When the piece arrives, please use the included gloves to carefully remove it from the box. Avoid touching the verdigris surface directly, as natural oils from your hands may affect it.

Taiki Sugishima
Taiki Sugishima is skilled in using the natural properties of metal to produce vessels with both beautiful, distinctive forms and expressive textures and surfaces. Sugishima who is skilled at both tankin (hammering) and forging techniques often shapes his vessels using the technique shibori, a process that allows the shaping of hollow forms from a flat sheet of metal by repeated hammering.

Sugishima completed the doctoral program in Sculpture at Hiroshima City University Graduate School of Arts in 2001. He later studied the traditional Japanese metalware craft of tankin as well as forging, with two craftsmen skilled in the respective techniques. Currently he produces a variety of work in different materials from cooking pots and utensils to objects, sculptural pieces, and custom work for architectural projects.