Monochromatic, ethereal and highly textured, the abstract compositions of Japanese mosaic artist Toyoharu Kii reflect a sophisticated approach to the technical art of mosaic making. Classically trained in Florence, Italy, Kii creates his modern mosaics using traditional techniques and materials, including hand-cut Italian marble and Venetian smalti glass. Eschewing the figural in favor of the abstract, his mosaics rely on contrasts of pattern and form to convey complex themes and achieve visual harmony.
Toyoharu Kii’s latest body of work “Geophytes” continues themes of rebirth and renewal. A reference to plants that regrow from hidden elements beneath the earth’s surface, the series celebrates the resilience of the natural world. Each mosaic is imagined as a landscape that documents a history of environmental damage due to human activity, and the subsequent return of nature as a restorative force. Through the juxtaposition of patterns and the interplay of order and disorder, Kii creates man-made “images of destruction” and finds hope in the future by “reconstructing nature.”
In this mosaic entitled "Sprout," Kii tells a story of nature’s endurance. As in other works, the areas with an orderly, grid-like arrangement of white tesserae represents a controlled, man-made environment, inhospitable to life. Emerging from a single seed, currents of lively geometric patterns and abstract swirls push through the barren surroundings, flowing upwards like a breath of fresh air. No matter the circumstance, nature persists, and the nurture of even the smallest of seeds marks the beginning of new life.
"Sprout," 2020
Toyoharu Kii (b. 1953)
Marble mosaic on wood board.
