As reported in The Star
Japanese creates abstract sculpture worth RM600,000
By MANJIT KAUR
Almost done: Mitsuo putting the final touches to his masterpiece at Upper Penang Road.
EVER passed by Upper Penang Road and wondered what a marble abstract sculpture was doing there?
Wonder no more as that sculpture is the work of a well-known Japanese sculptor Kikuchi Mitsuo.
Entitled ‘Under a Penang Sky’, the 3.4m-tall sculpture is made up of four fine marble slabs each weighing three tonnes.
Penang State Art Gallery chairman Datuk Tang Hon Yin said the sculpture was the fourth of its kind under the Penang Sculpture Trail project.
The other three are ‘Winds of Penang’ by Mukai Katsumi located at the junction of Penang Road and Magazine Road, ‘Celebration of the Blue Sky’ by Hitori Nakayama and ‘Rhythm of Life’ by Heng Eow Lin both situated at the Lebuh Sungai Pinang promenade.
Drilling patiently: Mitsuo working hard on a marble slab to create his abstract sculpture. He took two years to finish his project, entitled 'Under a Penang Sky'.
Tang said Mitsuo, 64, took two years to complete the sculpture using St Nicholas Home for the Visually Impaired as his studio.
“The artist will be present on Thursday for the ‘unveiling’ of the sculpture by state Town and Country Planning, Housing and Arts Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai.
“His work is valued at RM600,000 but he will not be paid for the sculpture. It is his gift to the city.
“Ten people will look at the sculpture in 10 different ways, as the work is abstract. That is the beauty of it,” he told a press conference at a hotel in Penang on Thursday.
The sculpture that was completed towards the end of last year is facing the E&O Hotel on Farquhar Street.
Tang said the vision to turn Penang into a world class sculpture corridor showcasing the best of Asian sculptors is the brainchild of Nakayama, who has been residing in Penang for the past 21 years.
The implementation of the Penang Sculpture Trail of World Class Asian Sculpture is spearheaded by Friends of Penang and supported by the Penang Museum and Art Gallery and the Penang Municipal Council.
One for the album: Mitsuo posing with his masterpiece after completion of his work.
“The project aims to install five sculptures per year for the next 10 years. We are hoping to come up with 50 such world-class sculptures during the period.
“We are trying to follow a model after a small town not far away from Tokyo called Tachikawa that has over 100 sculptures from worldwide artists.
“Although we have a long way to go, we hope one day people will visit Penang for its wonderful sculptures,” he added.
Tang said the Penang Sculpture Trail was an example of the saying “There is no limit to what man can do if no one cares who takes the credit”.
“What matters is for like-minded people to do whatever they can to make Penang one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” he said.
Those interested to be involved in the community driven project as a sponsor or supporter can email Friends of Penang at pstprojectinfo@gmail.com
檳島第4戶外裝置藝術誕生‧“檳城天空之下”揭幕
2010-02-06 15:21
“檳城天空之下”正式開幕：左起為揭幕嘉賓菊池滿雄、黃漢偉、李凱及陳忠源。（圖：星洲日報）
檳島的第4個裝置藝術已經順利誕生，未來的10年內，檳政府及非政府組織計劃要在整個豎立50座裝置藝術，要讓藝術融入生活，無處不在。（圖：星洲日報）
外國遊客喜見“檳城天空之下”的誕生，馬上邀請創作者在小冊子上簽名留念！（圖：星洲日報）
1 of 3（檳城）“檳城天空之下”（Under a Penang Sky）正式揭幕，檳島的第4個戶外裝置藝術宣告完美誕生！
這個由日本藝術家菊池滿雄（64歲）創作的裝置藝術，早前舉行揭幕儀式，並由菊池滿雄本身及負責檳州文化藝術事務的黃漢偉主持。
“檳城天空之下”重8噸，高3.4公尺，由產自怡保的大理石製成，與伊恩奧酒店遙遙相對。菊池滿雄為了這個作品，自掏腰包來檳9次勘察，他以水晶的棱角為概念，配合檳州獨有的古城氛圍，創造出這個作品。
菊池滿雄：雕像強調曲線
菊池滿雄解釋，這個雕像特別強調其曲線，當中凸顯了“人工的整齊”和“天然的不完整”，簡言之，就是這座城市柔和了自然和現代的美，達致和諧的美。
“這就是檳城的特色了，總是那麼渾然天成。”
黃漢偉說，喬治市除了是一個擁有世遺地位的城市外，檳州政府亦積極想把它打造成“藝術之都”，讓藝術文化氣息充滿在這古色古香的城市內。
他感謝菊池滿雄留下這個美麗的藝術品給檳城人。
“我要特別感激聖尼古拉之家、新港機械、Lincolite Electrical Engineering、怡保工程、Arkitek LLA、MH Boey Arkitek、Kintaly Marble、Kaki Design、Multi Tents及伊恩奧酒店的贊助，才能讓‘檳城天空之下’順利豎立在喬治市。”
出席揭幕禮者包括雕像贊助人陳忠源、檳州畫廊主席拿督鄧康賢、檳城大地之友主席李凱、日本籍藝術家中山一人等等。值得一提的是，檳州交響樂隊亦在當天為公眾演奏多首曲子，為檳榔律上環營造了濃濃的藝術氛圍。
星洲日報／大北馬‧2010.02.05
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