The Forest Through The Trees

We first discovered the work of Yuken Teruya at a São Paulo exhibition of his Notice – Forest series, in which small tree sculptures are cut from and constructed within disposable paper shopping bags.

We were moved by the work then, but Teruya most recently resurfaced on my radar for his Corner Forest pieces featuring toilet paper rolls. Contrary to Anastassia Elias’ self-contained toilet paper roll dioramas, Teruya cuts the tubes in a way that sets about creating an effect larger than itself.

Teruya’s experimentations in foliage formation have also included custom work for the New York Times Magazine, cutting miniature forests from assorted international currency, featured in a piece on creating a green economy.

Check out more from Yuken Teruya at his site, and keep your eye out for upcoming exhibitions near you – these works are even more impressive when viewed in person.