Hiroya Sugimura
(Tochigi Prefectural Musem of Fine Arts)

Things that are smooth outside are not always soft inside. Hard gnarls and sharp prickles may be hidden under the surface, which can grow unnoticed and suddenly emerge as huge figures before our eyes. Manabe Anton's works smoothly polished bring the warmth and gentle feel of wood to those who look upon them. This rich material brought from nature lives on in his work, but then the power of nature is sometimes beyond human control and this is ever present in wood with gnarls and prickles inside. Manabe Anton recognizes the hidden life in the forest and continues to make it visible to us all.

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