Year: 2023
Medium: camphorwood
Dimensions: 185 x 115 x 100 cm (72 7/8 x 45 1/4 x 39 3/8 in.)
Acquired from PARCEL, 2023
This is a stoutly built Santa Claus sculpture carved from camphorwood. Mori sometimes utilizes materials such as the deformity of wood, tree hollows, and knots in the details of his sculptures. In this work, the abdomen is richly swollen with round holes on both sides of the navel that look hollow. It is reminiscent of wounds or illnesses that excessively accentuate the vividness of the body. The fists are large like boxing gloves, clenching strongly which somehow exudes a sense of violence. While his left thumb is in a thumbs-up gesture, the fingertip is sharply pointed as if it is a weapon. His eyes with a warm smile are slightly upward and looking off into the distance, hints at elevated mood. The thick beard grown beneath his face is reminiscent of Santa Claus, but the end of it resembles male genitalia, blatantly visualizing the symbolism. The massive lower body supports his huge body, but at the same time, he has four legs. Although the word “dark” is not appropriate for the theme of Santa Claus which may bias our thoughts a little, the spirit expressed in this work leans more towards “strength” than sanctity, specifically a force characterized by overwhelming volume and veering towards violence. If this work exudes such “power” to awe those who encounter it, it is proof of Mori’s ability to carve out the raging energy hidden in the deformed tree. Like Michelangelo, who saw a living figure (viva figura) within the stone, Mori’s sculptures demonstrate that sculpture means the ability to detect the dynamics (dynamis) within the material and to bring it into an actuality (energeia) through precise technique and imagination.
