Kazuhiro Tsuji is a Japanese contemporary hyperrealist sculptor living and working in Los Angeles. After working 25 years as a special effects makeup artist in Hollywood, Kazu decisively shifted focus in 2008, dedicating himself full time to fine art sculpture.
Using resin, platinum silicone, and many other materials, Kazu constructs three-dimensional portraits in a scale two times life size. Kazu is a self taught pioneer in the craft of using contemporary materials to create the illusion of life.
As an early pioneer in Japan, Kazu founded one of the country’s first companies of special effects makeup, and worked with director Akira Kurosawa in the production of “Rhapsody in August”. In retrospect his film career had served as a laboratory for developing cutting edge styles of portrait painting, photography, and sculpture.
His aim is to sculpt portraits that go beyond capturing a likeness. He creates the sculptures of the heads from the inside out, bringing to life the appearance of inner thought and emotion as he layers the silicone.
Face to face, viewers approach the giant heads which are eight times bigger than life size in volume. The stillness and detail allow for close examination of each pore with a level of scrutiny not even permitted to lovers. The sculptures permit an impossibly close shared moment with the celebrated.
Currently, Kazu works in his custom built modeling and casting studio in Burbank. The recent work he has exhibited widely at major art fairs and museums, has magnetized the attention from collectors, press, and visiting art enthusiasts alike.
Images courtesy of Kazuhiro Tsuji
Discover: kazustudios.com
