​Nisiyama Diaki

Carving the Shape of a Tree

Daiki Nishiyama pursues the possibilities of wood carving based on the theme of the “form” of trees. He is currently mainly exhibiting the Statue series, which is a group of works in the Ittobori style. The movement and force of the chisel can be felt from the shape carved out of the carefully honed knife, allowing you to get a glimpse of the thoughts that went into carving each sword. Nishiyama claims that something spiritual dwells in trees and expresses the form of that spiritual something as a form.

Nishiyama uses various trees as materials. Many of them are made from trees that were left in gardens or facilities that were cut down, or from furniture or other tools. Others were discarded by woodworkers to avoid knots or cavities. Nishiyama says that he locally procures the wood himself, milling and drying the material to suit his purpose. In other words, he is able to understand the structure of the material and view uneven points, knots, and cavities as unique characteristics rather than defects. In addition, all the coloring used is uniquely produced and adjusted so that the outcome differs depending on the type of tree and soil environment.

think the charm of wood carving comes out when the necessity of working with wood is in tune with the work. In Nishiyama’s works, the act of creating is a dialogue with trees, and when something that is often considered a flaw becomes unique, it becomes necessary to work with the trees. And when individuality is the one and only characteristic that radiates charm, the “form” of the tree may emerge asI a work of art.