Intricate, ethereal and highly textured, the abstract compositions of Japanese mosaic artist Toyoharu Kii reflect a sophisticated approach to the technical art of mosaic making. Classically trained in Florence, Italy, Kii creates his modern mosaics using traditional techniques and materials, including hand-cut Italian marble and Venetian smalti glass. Eschewing the figural in favor of the abstract, his mosaics rely on contrasts of pattern and form to convey complex themes and achieve visual harmony.
Toyoharu Kii’s latest body of work “Geophytes” continues themes of rebirth and renewal. A reference to plants that regrow from hidden elements beneath the earth’s surface, the series celebrates the resilience of the natural world. Each mosaic is imagined as a landscape that documents a history of environmental damage due to human activity, and the subsequent return of nature as a restorative force. Through the juxtaposition of patterns and the interplay of order and disorder, Kii creates man-made “images of destruction” and finds hope in the future by “reconstructing nature.”
In this large mosaic entitled "Rampage," Kii takes a more representational approach to his storytelling, depicting a natural disaster of fire and water. The manifestation of nature’s rage, red-hot flames and crashing waves ravage the surrounding lands, both rendered in the style of traditional Japanese imagery. Energetic and invigorating, the mosaic emphasizes nature’s incredible power and suggests that destruction may be the first step in the process of healing. In the artist’s own words, “Nature has become a formidable enemy.”
“Rampages,” 2021
Toyoharu Kii (b. 1953)
Marble mosaic and smalti.