Statement by bamboo Sculptor Cal Hashimoto

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

TRIBUTE TO THE PLEIADES II
Bamboo, Gourd, Copper, Brass ~ H 17" W 54" D 15"

"My interest in the arts emerged as a youngster in California when I began carving human figures out of eucalyptus and almond logs with a chainsaw. This sculptural interest was refined during study at the University of California at Berkeley under the credible influence of Peter Voulkos and John Battenburg. I completed several sculptural commissions while studying for my Bachelor of Architecture Degree, received in 1969.

I made a purposeful decision at this juncture with a move to Africa where the rich sculptural heritage of the continent made a deep artistic impression on my psyche. Seven years in West and East Africa afforded many opportunities for travel and study of this ageless land and its people. My appetite for further awareness was enhanced with time in the Near East, Southeast Asia, China, Indonesia, Europe, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and Central America.

In search of an environment that would be conducive to a creative expression of my experiences, I chose to move to the Big Island of Hawaii in 1982. Here I found the drama and beauty of the island's culture and natural materials, incorporating them into my art work. My explorations also led to the discovery of the various bamboo groves that are found throughout the islands. There was always a serenity and beauty to these environments that transported me into a spiritual place of my own being.

My primary sculptural medium had been metals, wood and natural fibers, however, since 1990, I have been exploring my creative expression through the use of bamboo. After extensive research and arduous efforts of trial and error, I came to know the eccentricities of this exquisite material and refine my own methods of fashioning it into works of art. The difficult task that I endeavor to accomplish is to incorporate some of the aspects of serenity, beauty, and spirituality of a bamboo forest into my art work. This coupled with the influences of ten years of travel and exposure to the arts of different cultures has formed the basis of what is now embodied in my bamboo sculpture. My personal philosophy regarding visual arts is that it is nonverbal and lies in the mystery of its birth, creation, and its final form.

Herein above lies the mystical, the magical, of the
BAMBOO FOREST.....

All photos copyrighted by Cal Hashimoto except where indicated.
Photos are not to be reproduced or copied in any form.

For more information:
Cal Hashimoto, Bamboo Sculptor
EMAIL