Intricate, ethereal and highly textured, the abstract compositions of Japanese mosaic artist Toyoharu Kii reflect a sophisticated approach to the technical art of mosaic making. Classically trained in Florence, Italy, Kii creates his modern mosaics using traditional techniques and materials, including hand-cut Italian marble and Venetian smalti glass. Eschewing the figural in favor of the abstract, his mosaics rely on contrasts of pattern and form to convey complex themes and achieve visual harmony.
Toyoharu Kii’s latest body of work “Geophytes” continues themes of rebirth and renewal. A reference to plants that regrow from hidden elements beneath the earth’s surface, the series celebrates the resilience of the natural world. Each mosaic is imagined as a landscape that documents a history of environmental damage due to human activity, and the subsequent return of nature as a restorative force. Through the juxtaposition of patterns and the interplay of order and disorder, Kii creates man-made “images of destruction” and finds hope in the future by “reconstructing nature.”
In this large mosaic entitled "Spring," Kii tells a story of nature and rebirth. The lively composition depicts a landscape in the aftermath of human activity, with fragments of buildings and architecture scattered throughout. These built elements are represented as blocks of orderly white tesserae, marked with cracks, fissures and holes that reveal the passage of time. Like an overgrown garden or abandoned ruins, these fragments are surrounded by a chaotic sprawl of flowers and leafy foliage, depicted with bright colors and abstract patterns. An ode to springtime, the mosaic encapsulates the beauty of new life within the budding of a spring flower.
“Spring,” 2021
Toyoharu Kii (b. 1953)
Marble mosaic and smalti on wood board.
