Japanese wood sculptor Shigeo Toya dies at 78

Shigeo Toya, a distinguished wood sculpture artist from Japan, has passed away at the age of 78. Born in 1947 in northwestern Nagano, he gained recognition for his intricate wooden artworks carved using a chainsaw. Initiating his Woods series in 1984, he crafted figures reminiscent of forest environments. His later work, the Twenty Eight Deaths series from the 1980s, featured stacked wooden blocks displaying charred surfaces. Toya showcased his talent internationally, representing Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1988 and participating in several other prestigious exhibitions. A significant retrospective of his art was exhibited at Nagano and Saitama museums from 2022 to 2023.