Mitsuo Saiki, Sculptures

Mitsuo Saiki
Shou Kannon
Andesite
$2,500

The Buddha statue reflects the one who sees it. So, it is my hope that I was able to convey that with these statues regardless of the faith of the one who sees it.”

Born in 1975, Mitsuo Saiki is a Level 1 certified Stone Masonry Technician. After becoming a student of the now-deceased stone sculptor Ryo Kato at age 18 and serving five years as his apprentice, he returned to the Saiki family business. He uses traditional hand-carving techniques to create works ranging from stone Buddhas to monuments, while also displaying his works at a variety of exhibitions, galleries and art festivals and engaging in a diverse range of professional activities.

Mitsuo Saiki
Kannon Bosatsu
Andesite
$1,800
Mitsuo Saiki
Shou Kannon
Andesite
$1,800
Mitsuo Saiki
Jizou Bosatsu
Andesite
$2,200
Mitsuo Saiki
Nyoirin Kannon
Andesite
$2,200
Mitsuo Saiki
Byakui Kannon
Andesite
$2,200
Mitsuo Saiki
Jizov Bosatsu
Andesite
$2,200
Mitsuo Saiki
Series of small Buddhas
Carved Andesite Stone

In 2005, he embarked on an ambitious two-year project to repair and restore the 300-year-old Kannon statues enshrined on Nakanojo town’s sacred mountain of Takeyama. In 2014, as part of a commemorative project celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Gunma Prefecture Stone Industry Association, he carved the stone statue of the Gunma prefectural mascot “Gunma-chan” that is displayed in front of the Gunma Prefectural Government Building. He served as the Executive Committee Chairman of the 2015 Nakanojo Biennale and is known to spend his free time listening to blues with a drink in hand.

“As a stone sculptor, I try to trust my instincts as I search for the points and lines that tell me how to shape an object. However, I have come to understand that it is not the sculptor who decides how to sculpt the stone, but the stone that decides how it will be sculpted.”

Mitsuo Saiki