
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Haroshi has quickly become a globally renowned artist, best known for his art pieces made from recycled skateboards. His creations are born through styles such as wooden mosaic, dots, and pixels: where each element, either cut out in communication tool with both himself, and the outside world.
Haroshi’s most important style is his three-dimensional wooden mosaic pieces. In order to make a sculpture out of a thin skateboard deck, one must stack many layers, but skate decks are already processed products. Moreover, skateboards have varying structures according to the factory, brand, and signature models. With his experience and in-depth knowledge of skateboards, Haroshi is able to differentiate from thousands of used deck stocks, which deck fits with which when stacked together. After the decks are chosen and stacked, they are cut, shaven, and polished with his favourite tools.
By coincidence, this creative style is similar to the way traditional wooden Japanese Great Buddhas are built to save on materials. This goes hand in hand with Haroshi’s style of using skateboards as a means of recycling. Although not seen from outside, there is also a metal object that is buried inside his three-dimensional statues. The object is a broken skateboard part that chosen from his collection of parts that became deteriorated and broke off from skateboards. To Haroshi, this metal part inside his art pieces means to “give soul” to the statue.
“Unkei” a Japanese sculptor of Buddhas who was active in the 12th Century, whose works are most popular even today among the Japanese people used to set a crystal ball called “Shin-Gachi-Rin (Heart Moon Circle)” in the position of the Buddha’s heart. This would become the soul of the statue. So the fact that Haroshi takes the same steps in his creation may be a natural reflection of his spirit and aesthetic as a Japanese.