Yuki Tsuboshima
Born 1987, Tokyo Prefecture
A “transformable ornament” is a small metallic object that can change its form to another motif by moving its parts. Both the mechanism and the Japanese name for it were conceived by Yuki Tsuboshima himself. Here two Pokémon, Rookidee and Corviknight, are coexisting in one transformable ornament. It was netsuke that inspired Tsuboshima to work on transformable ornaments.* A netsuke has to bear the weight of the portable object it is fastening, while swinging. And it also requires the assumption that, as an accessory worn on the body, it can be attached and removed. To avoid damage and parts getting snared on clothing, he decided that “all the fine parts should be put inside,” and took up the challenge. That was the start of incorporating the form with the logic of his transformative patterns. Tsuboshima’s work is of course intriguing for its intricacies, but the way that the individual parts and mechanisms need to work is also fascinating. The small body of Transformable Ornament, Rookidee/Corviknight is made of fifty-some parts. It conceals all sorts of suggestions for thinking about the craft. * A netsuke is a type of fastener, usually a small sculpture, used when hanging a tobacco pouch or an inro (a tiered container) from the obi sash.
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