Koji Hatakeyama (畠山耕治), Japanese (b. 1956)

A Bronze Box 

Year 2003

About the work

A compelling bronze box by Koji Hatakeyama, one of Japan's foremost contemporary metal artists. Created in 2003, the work exemplifies the artist's enduring fascination with the theme of the box, a form that occupies a central place within his artistic practice. Although modest in scale, the piece possesses a remarkable sense of presence, transforming a simple cubic form into a contemplative sculptural object.

Cast in bronze and finished with a richly varied patina, the exterior displays an intricate landscape of deep reds, purples, browns, and verdigris greens. These naturally expressive surface effects create a painterly quality that changes with the light, revealing new nuances from every angle. The restrained geometry of the cube contrasts beautifully with the organic complexity of the patinated surface, highlighting Hatakeyama's mastery of both form and material.

The removable lid rests upon discreet feet and opens to reveal an interior finished in radiant gold leaf. This striking contrast between the luminous gilded interior and the darkly patinated bronze exterior introduces a sense of surprise and quiet drama, while emphasising the dialogue between concealment and revelation. Such considerations reflect Hatakeyama's interest in the box not merely as a container, but as a vessel for contemplation, memory, and imagination.

Though functional in conception, the work transcends utility and stands as a refined sculptural object. The compact scale concentrates the artist's characteristic sense of materiality, tension, and stillness into a highly intimate form, making it equally suitable for display as a work of contemporary sculpture or as a decorative object of exceptional craftsmanship.

Dimensions

6cm(h) x 6cm(w) x 5.7cm(d)

Footnote

Koji Hatakeyama (畠山耕治, born 1956) is a distinguished Japanese metal artist and sculptor from Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, one of Japan's foremost centres of bronze casting and metal craftsmanship. A graduate of the Casting Department at Kanazawa College of Art in 1980, he has established an international reputation for his innovative bronze works that bridge traditional Japanese metalworking and contemporary sculpture. His achievements include the Takashimaya Art Prize (2000), the Grand Prize at the Sano Renaissance Casting Exhibition (2007), the MOA Museum Prize (2012), and the Grand Prize at the inaugural Asian Contemporary Art Award in London (2023). His works are held in major museum collections worldwide, including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Galleries of Scotland, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.