Empathy Lab proudly introduces new works to Masako Miki’s Shapeshifters series, which roots its expressions in the animistic polytheism of Shinto traditions. Conceiving of the gallery as a home, Miki constructs various spaces for casual connection and contemplation, from an engawa deck to an open garden-scape dotted with deity-inspired bronze and felt creatures, objects, and forms, alongside vibrant drawings that convey the outside world.
Masako Miki: Empathy Lab at RYAN LEE
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The exhibition ignites the artist’s common theme of questioning how tradition and folklore offer grounds for exploring bicultural identity. In her characters—whose designs are rooted in deep histories of animistic mythology—sacredness is implied, regardless of diversity in form, texture, surface or material make-up.
Left: Masako Miki with artist Martine Gutierrez at the opening reception of Empathy Lab, 2023
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Furutsubaki no Rei (Aged Camellia Flower Spirit), 2023
Wool on EPS foam, walnut wood
49 x 26 x 26 inches (124.5 x 66 x 66 cm)
$32,000
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Karakasa Obake (straw umbrella shapeshifter), 2022
Wool on EPS foam, walnut wood
78 x 24 x 24 inches (198.1 x 61 x 61 cm)
$52,000
Animated Kokeshi Doll (tall), 2023
Wool on EPS foam, walnut wood
58 1/2 x 16 x 16 inches (148.6 x 40.6 x 40.6 cm)
$46,000
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Animated Kokeshi Doll (tall), 2023
Wool on EPS foam, walnut wood
58 1/2 x 16 x 16 inches (148.6 x 40.6 x 40.6 cm)
$46,000
In order to create her felted sculptures, Miki painstakingly felts wool on EPS foam. Due to the medium’s high degree of mutability, each sculpture passes through a multitude of design phases before reaching final form.
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Sashiko Ghost ('little stabs' Traditional Japanese Embroidery), 2023
Wool on EPS foam, walnut wood
60 1/2 x 25 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches (153.7 x 64.8 x 64.8 cm)
$46,000
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Gobo Obake (Possessed Burdock Roots Ghost), 2023
Wool on EPS foam, walnut wood
18 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 6 inches (47 x 24.1 x 15.2 cm)
$6,500
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Sound Shapeshifter, 2023
Wool on EPS foam, walnut wood
18 x 11 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches (45.7 x 29.2 x 29.2 cm)
$7,500
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Animated Ancient Vase, 2023
Patinated bronze
Overall: 53 x 13 3/4 x 13 3/4 inches (134.6 x 34.9 x 34.9 cm)
Vase: 23 x 12 x 12 inches (58.4 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm)
Pedestal: 30 x 13 3/4 x 13 3/4 inches (76.2 x 34.9 x 34.9 cm)
Edition of 5
$55,000
$59,000 with the pedestal
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The Cat That Lived a Million Times (Book by Yoko Sano), 2023
Patinated bronze
19 x 28 x 11 inches (48.3 x 71.1 x 27.9 cm)
Edition of 7
$28,000
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Holographic Entities Reminding of the Universe, 2023
Patinated bronze and claro walnut wood
45 x 36 x 15 3/4 inches (114.3 x 91.4 x 40 cm)
Edition of 3
$135,000
The artist uses a myriad of color application processes to finish her cast bronzes. Combining two finishes of century-old patina with the modern invention of automotive paint, Miki’s bronze sculptures attain a variety of textures, from stonelike and matte to glossy and brilliant.
Holographic Entities Reminding of the Universe (detail), 2023
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Holographic Entities Reminding of the Universe (detail), 2023
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Plant Ghost (Evergreen) (left) and Plant Ghost (Cream) (right), 2022
Cast bronze, automobile paint and urethane
24 1/2 x 25 x 25 inches (62.2 x 63.5 x 63.5 cm) each
Each edition of 5
$55,000 each
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Offering, Haunted Field of Flowers, 2023
Ink and watercolor on paper
Paper Dimensions: 45 15/16 x 78 inches (116.7 x 198.1 cm)
Framed Dimensions: 48 15/16 x 81 inches (124.3 x 205.7 cm)
$42,000
Installation view of Empathy Lab at RYAN LEE, 2023
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Installation view of Empathy Lab at RYAN LEE, 2023
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In Louisville, Kentucky, Shapeshifting, an exhibition of Miki’s new vibrant felt sculptures is on view at KMAC through August 6, 2023.
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In San Jose, Masako Miki: Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is on view through September 18, 2023. This site-specific mural commissioned by the ICA San Jose is a continuation of Miki’s Shapeshifters series.