Shrine (Hell Gate Keepers)

2021

Dimensions variable

Salvaged oak tree, epoxy resin, acrylic urethane, gravel, steel

Commissioned by Socrates Sculpture Park. Presented as a part of the 2021 Socrates Annual: Sanctuary. Currently exhibited at Longhouse Reserve. Photo creditL Sofie Kjørum Austlid and JSP Art Photography (Stan Narten)

“Inspired by Shinto spiritualism, Moko Fukuyama’s Shrine (Hell Gate Keepers) features a group of monolithic wooden sculptures evoked by the form and function of fishing lures. Shinto, Japan’s indigenous religion, seeks to cultivate a harmonious relationship between humans, “kami” (deities), and the natural world. Shrine (Hell Gate Keepers) also draws upon Fukuyama’s upbringing in Japan and her experience with recreational sport-fishing. The ‘lures,’ carved from logs whose curves, grain and burl inform Fukuyama’s sculptural interventions, pay homage to the Shinto legacy of developing the character inherent within a landscape. As an immersive monument, Shrine (Hell Gate Keepers) presents fish and forests as symbols of natural abundance, susceptible to principles of scarcity. The oak tree used for the sculpture was donated by East Woods School in Oyster Bay, Long Island, repurposed after it was knocked down by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.”