Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2011

Installation view at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. Courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner, New York

More than merely reflecting what he observes, Yutaka Sone works directly with the communities in which he’s based. The sculptor employs local materials, be it timber and natural fiber from the area surrounding his studio in Mexico or crystal and marble rustled up during his time in China. Like Japanese artists of old, Sone is also concerned with man’s place in the natural world. But rather than trees and rivers, he’s preoccupied with a contemporary visual vocabulary that includes manmade islands and ski resorts—subject matter that appears in the wide-ranging show “Perfect Moments.”

Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
Until Mar 27, ¥600 (elem, MS)/¥800 (HS, univ)/¥1,000 (adult). From the Collection 036: Four Seasons. Various media. Until Mar 27, free (with Sone admission). Project N 44: Kana Yoshida. Until Mar 27, free (with Sone admission). 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku. Tel: 03-5353-0756. Open Tue-Thu & Sun 11am-7pm, Fri-Sat 11am-8pm, closed Mon. Nearest stn: Hatsudai. www.operacity.jp/ag