Kishino frequently visits the abbot of
Ryukoin Temple in the Daitokuji Temple
complex in northern Kyoto, the latter
founded in 1319. The complex consists
of nearly two dozen temples and is
a fulcrum in Japan of Zen Buddhist
culture, architecture and gardens.
Through his visits to the abbot,
Kishino's artistic practice evolved into
a form of spiritual training through
which he sought self improvement.
He discovered wood to be his material
sine qua non, a material that is honed
rather than modeled, just as the self
and soul, ideally, are distilled to their
essence rather than aggrandized with
false trappings. Each cut of the wood
Kishino makes is deliberate, focused,
significant; he compares the cuts
employed in wood sculpture to the
brushstroke in Japanese calligraphy,
each stroke a perfect gesture serving
to render each character with grace
and fixity.
Kishino does not work with just any
wood, but with pieces, often salvaged,
that transmit human history or the
fragile marks and texture of nature:
old wood from temples or shrines,
wood discovered on riverbanks or
HYLAND
