"Travelers" by Sayaka Ganz

​The Artistry of
Reclaimed Plastics

​By GERRY and PAMELA BARKER
North Palm Beach Life
February 20, 2019

Top: "Emergence" -- Photo by Valentina Raggozino

Spatulas, household utensils, bowls -- everyday plastic items you'll find in every home. Many destined for the recycle bin. And that's where Sayaka Ganz takes over.

For the Japanese-born sculptor, recycled plastic is a treasure trove of art waiting to happen. And what can you make out of discarded plastic items? Go to the Morikami Museum in Delray Beach and prepare to be amazed.

Her work is on display through March 31 in the exhibit, "The Artistry of Reclaimed Plastic." Meticulously connecting hundreds of plastic items to wireframes, Ganz has created animal sculptures that take on a life of their own; horses captured in full stride, a family of polar bears navigating the sea; a bird in flight.

On her website, she talks about the process behind her creations: "I am always collecting plastic objects. In my basement and in my storage units I have something like 60 plastic bins full of color sorted plastic objects, and when I have enough of one color I make a decision for what to make. Right now I am very interested in depicting animals in motion, so I research different gallops, strides, flight and dives of various species and find reference photographs to help me understand the motion as well as the anatomy of the animals."

She describes her style as “3D impressionism.” Quoting from the museum's press release: “My work is about perceiving harmony, even in situations that appear chaotic from the inside. When observing my sculptures up close, one might see gaps, holes and items being held on only by small points; step away, however, and the sculptures reveal the harmony created when the objects are aligned to the same general (but not identical) direction. Similarly, it is important to gain perspective by stepping back from current problems and look at the larger picture. Then one can perceive the beauty and patterns that exist.” ​

"The Artistry of Reclaimed Plastics" is at the Morikami through March 31.

Sayaka Ganz:
Reclaimed Creations
Feb. 15-March 31, 2019

About the Artist

Sayaka Ganz was born in Yokohama, Japan and grew up living in Japan, Brazil, and Hong Kong. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Bowling Green State University. Ganz has lectured widely and taught design and drawing courses at Indiana University – Purdue University, Fort Wayne; she was the subject of a video entitled SAYAKA GANZ: Danz Della Natura produced by the Hermann Geiger Foundation. 

"Light" (left) and "Stream"

"Nirvana" by Sayaka Ganz

Also at the Morakami: Japanese Lacquer Sculpture

"Organized by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the thirty works by sixteen artists comprise the first-ever comprehensive exhibition of contemporary Japanese lacquer sculpture. They have all been drawn from the Clark Collections at Mia, the only collection in the world to feature this extraordinary new form."



While you at the museum, you'll want to view another exhibit, "Hard Bodies: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer Sculpture."

While on a guided tour, the museum docent shared many fascinating facts and details about this ancient art form, including how lacquer is harvested from the lacquer or varnish trees native to Asia. First, a tree has to be 10 years old. At that time, trees are scored with knife cuts, which produces the lacquer sap -- much the same way we get maple syrup. Each tree can only be tapped once, and produces only a small amount of the precious liquid. The lacquer is then processed and various pigment can be added to produce different colors.

This exhibit showcases the modern-day Japanese artists who are pushing the boundaries of what forms lacquer art can take. Below are just a few examples from the display.