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

A Bronze Box "A Still Small Voice" of "A Small Little Thing"

Year 1999

About the work

A monumental bronze box by Koji Hatakeyama, one of Japan's most acclaimed contemporary metal artists. Exhibited under the title A Still Small Voice, the work exemplifies Hatakeyama's distinctive ability to transform functional forms into contemplative artistic statements. Cast in bronze and finished with a rich, naturally developed patina, the box presents a minimalist rectangular form with a precisely fitted lid, creating a powerful architectural presence.

The restrained geometry and substantial weight contrast strikingly with the poetic title, inviting reflection on themes of silence, contemplation, and the significance of quiet truths that are easily overlooked. The softly weathered bronze surface reveals nuanced tonal variations and a quiet material richness that reward close inspection, while the simplicity of the form highlights Hatakeyama's mastery of proportion, balance, and spatial tension.

Although functional in form, the work transcends utility, occupying the boundary between contemporary sculpture and studio craft. The original exhibition label attached to the underside identifies the work as A Still Small Voice and records its inclusion in the World Competition of Arts and Crafts Exhibition (世界工芸コンペティション).

The bronze box is accompanied by its original signed wooden box. 

Dimensions

27.5cm(h) x 35.5cm(w) x 13.5cm(d)

Weight: 16kg

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.