Contemporary sculptor Koji Tanada has made wood sculpture constantly, and especially used Japanese traditional technique to create 'Boys and Girls' series since living in Berlin in 2001. Standing with long legs and hands, and skinny body and hiding mind, boys and girls represent essence of a person and reflect on a human character of today. 

The theme 'rise' is for the newest works, based on boys and girls going up to the sky like smoke. As collaborating with students from Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka College high school, located in the disaster area of Tohoku earthquake and Hyogo Prefectural Akashi Senior High School, born in the same year as Hanshin earthquake, his works talk about encountering trials, but a rising image as a person. 

For the first large scale exhibition in Kansai region, his 50 sculptures, from graduation to the recent works, and sketches for them are introduced. 

Courtesy of Itami City Museum of Art and Mizuma Art Gallery