YUFU SHOHAKU, Shining Dragon (2021), madake bamboo, bamboo branches
Tai Modern, 1601 Paseo de Peralta, 505-984-1387, taimodern.com
Second-generation bamboo artist Yufu Shohaku was born in the Japanese city of Beppu and learned bamboo basket making from his father, Yufu Chikuryu. Shohaku, who mastered the craft by the time he was in middle school, is known for his rough-plaited baskets that blend plant roots and bamboo chunks, following in the tradition of older Beppu artists.
A certified master at flower arranging and the head of a local Shigin (chanted poetry) group, Shohaku constructs his sculptural and functional baskets with certain types of flower arrangements in mind. “For me, baskets and flowers are inseparable, and I get my inspiration from natural forms such as the earth and cliffs,” he said in a statement. “I try to give my works an organic look, as if they are a part of nature.”
Shohaku’s first solo exhibition outside of Japan opened in April here and is on view through May 31.