Nasa Kim Bo has become fascinated with wood as a material after having experimented with clay sculptures in the past. Throughout the process of woodcarving, he embarks on a journey of recovering his internal identity after a traumatic experience of being driven out of his country of origin at a young age and having new culture imposed upon him. His strong will to survive in a foreign environment has led him to build a sort of mental “scaffolding”, or a protective barrier, much like different species form exoskeletons to protect their bodies. This motive often appears in his works in the form of sharp structural supports, providing a strong juxtaposition to the sculptures depicting essential elements of the human body.
The notion of uncovering what lies beneath is unequivocally present in many the artist’s works. He tries to dissect the human mind by taking it apart piece by piece and wondering which elements of the human psyche are innate and which ones are acquired by the interaction with the surroundings. Individuation is therefore the by-product of the ongoing research into the material and research into the self. It is the result of discovering the beauty of a form and technique and mastering the fears and traumas through the act of creation.
The Open Studio event leads you into the artist’s atelier, whose spectacular assortment of sculptures and found objects acts like a cabinet de curiosités of the artist’s mind.