Mu

Okura Jiro, a conceptual artist and sculptor who was based in the town of Uji, south of Kyoto, is known for minimalist sculptural works made from woods of native trees associated with Shinto and Buddhism. This wall hanging is made of Appalachian black walnut, which was harvested with permission from the National Forest Service in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Okura harvested the wood only after the performance of a Shinto ritual. The surface of the unfinished, naturally warped plank of wood is cut with striated grooves; the edges are jagged and irregular.

This panel reflects the artist’s interest during the 1980s and 1990s in working with the natural tendencies of wood: the grooves help the wood to expand and contract without cracking. Okura also left the panel outside to encourage it to bend and modulate further.