The Body’s Possibilities Are Pushed To The Limit In These Surreal Sculptures

Sculptor Yoshitoshi Kanemaki creates traditional wood carvings using camphor wood and paint. His sculptures are 3D depictions of men and women with delicately-colored clothing, hair, and faces. All of their faces, that is.

Kanemaki”s sculptures are surrealist portraits that resemble three-dimensional equivalents of multiple exposure photos. Faces have more than two eyes, heads seem to overlap, and body parts are inexplicably multiplied. Sometimes, multiple bodies seem fused together for a truly bizarre silhouette.

While some people might think of monsters and horrible experiments, the sculptures are not really horror movie fare. Rather, the multiple features suggest both physical movement and multifaceted thoughts. Multiple faces show a spectrum of emotions, while different limb positions make it look like the figure was fidgeting. Even though the concept of a multi-limbed, multi-faced human might give you the creeps, Kanemaki”s figures look surprisingly normal and approachable. In fact, they might even remind you of Hindu deities with their many limbs and faces. However, Kanemaki”s sculptures are not religious, nor are they meant to be representative of those figures.

If anything, these statues with all their extra bits might be a celebration of the variable nature of humans and the human experience. You can check out more of Kanemaki”s work on his Behance and Facebook pages. You can also see some of his work in progress, from the initial sketches to the finished products.

(Via Lost At E Minor)