Research

“Some things aren’t ‘whatever'” (2025), “Night by Night.” (2020), 9.5 × 5.3 × 5.5 cm, wood

camphor wood, 58 x 18.5 x 18 centimeters.

Ikuo Inada has a unique style of realistic wood carvings depicting themes of insomnia, sleepiness, and the human experience of having trouble waking up in the morning. His sculptures are relatable to most people, with their hoodies and sweatpants and tired expressions, and are intriguing to look at with their very fine details. He uses subtractive carving on wood to make his sculptures, and they usually range from a 5 centimeters tall to 10 centimeters tall. 

I’m interested in the hardness of the wood that Inada carves with and how that affects his choice in tools, since he does subtractive carving and needs to be precise when doing so. Also, I’m wondering what techniques he’s developed for making wood look so much like fabric, and how much painstaking time he must take to make these tiny but detailed works.