Junichi Mori

Junichi Mori’s methods of expression are diverse, using sculpture, ceramics, photography, and oil painting to create works brimming with tension, where light and shadow delicately intertwine. Up until now, he has created a series of works based on Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings of water flow and hair, using materials such as marble and boxwood, in addition to pieces themed around the atomic bombing of his hometown, Nagasaki.

For this project held at Shibusawa Family Mausoleum Toeizan Kan’ei-ji Temple, Mori will present the latest work from his sculpture series Astral shadow, which he began in spring 2025. The series’ origins are said to lie in Alberto Giacometti’s polyhedral sculpture Cube (Le cube) (1933–34) and his drawing Moon-Happening (Lunaire) (c. 1933). Mori created several polyhedrons in an attempt to decipher the meaning of the form of Cube (Le cube). In the process of continually working on them without finding any clues, Astral shadow–First Layer/Cube (top photo) unexpectedly emerged.

According to the artist, the “stars” referred to in these works are akin to the mask-like entity floating in darkness depicted by Giacometti in his work Moon-Happening (Lunaire). For this event, Mori created seven new pieces based on his own experiences with stars. These works were created in hope that “something connecting each figure (like a constellation) would emerge.”

Special Cooperation: Toeizan Kan’ei-ji Temple
Cooperation: Tokyo University of the Arts