akeem

Entering the world of Tokyo-based Japanese sculptor Teppei Kaneuji is like walking into a funky workshop gone awry. Quirky combinations of tools, surreal snow-caked household objects on barbecue grills, towers of Claes Oldenburg knockoffs, and black and white stuffed toys collide to create a phantasmagoria of color and action. In his first US solo exhibition, Deep Fried Ghost, Kaneuji’s inventiveness, seen through five series of works made from 2004 to the present, reevaluate the significance of assemblage by taking sculpture to new levels of amusement, fascination, and serious thought.

There are many invisible people who make the art world run: art handlers, registrars, conservators, exhibition designers. We don’t often see these people listed on press releases or wall placards, but it’s thanks to their work that we get to have meaningful aesthetic experiences. One of the largest groups of behind-the-scenes laborers is artisans — the welders, sculptors, painters, finishers, and others who realize large-scale pieces of art, often on behalf of big-name artists. And one of the places best known for its artisans is Pietrasanta, Italy.