Buddhist Sculptor

The Buddhist Sculptor's job is literally to carve Buddhist statues. It can be said that this work is the highest expression of one’s faith. It is said that the origin of Buddhist altars and accessories in Kyoto started in the workshops of Buddhist Sculptors.

A Buddhist statue is enshrined in each temple and worshipped by visitors and monks who practice their daily devotions. Buddhist Sculptors tell us that they pay the most attention to the carving techniques and non-visible aspects of the carved Buddha, such as the presence and atmosphere of the Buddha. That way, worshippers can accept the Buddha's expression and appearance and find peace of mind.
The Buddhist statue and the inner main hall are set up to recreate the Pure Land, the unseen paradise in this world. However, the Buddhist statue, which is the direct object of worship, plays a role in bridging the gap between worshippers and their faith in a deeper spiritual sense.

Since the arrival of Buddhism, the Buddhist Sculptor has breathed life into an invisible spirit by using their hands to create figurative art. It is a task that keeps endlessly answering a question with no right answer, and that has continued to be passed down for centuries.

Works of Buddhist Sculptors are divided into various categories: the carver who carves figurative transom screens or tables, the sculptor who carves building structures like pillars, and the Buddhist Sculptor who makes Buddhist statues. One of the most distinguishing aspects of Buddhist Sculptors is their expression of texture.

The carvings by a Buddhist Sculptor are very realistic, and not only the image of the Buddha, but also lotus leaves, animals, and divine beasts are carved in such a way that they look as if they are about to move. How is such a life-like carving created? If you look closely at the woodwork of a statue, you will understand.
There are various components of the Buddha statue, such as bare skin, clothing, armor, as well as head and chest accessories that are usually made of metal.

The Buddhist Sculptor expresses softness or hardness, heaviness or lightness in the same wood through carving technique alone, not by changing the type or color of the wood. In this way, the appearance of the Buddha looks as though the skin is soft, the clothes are light and flowing in the breeze, the armor is heavy and strong, the surface of the water and streams flow quietly, and the lotus flowers and leaves look supple.

One of the characteristic aspects of the Buddhist Sculptor is bringing the wood ‘to life’.

Buddhist Sculptors are the start of the manufacture of Buddhist altars and accessories in Kyoto, and there are still several workshops that carry on the names and tradition of eminent sculptors. Some sculptors say that they can distinguish when the statue was made, just by looking at the face and shape of the statue. That is because they are able to see the characteristics of the contour and expression that have been inherited from past sculptors.

An oval face, a round face, cheek bones, the position of the eyes, balance between the mouth and nose; the face and expression of a statue is like a personal signature for each Buddhist Sculptor. Coupled with the fashion of the period, sculptors can tell from which lineage tree a Buddhist statue has been passed down, or when it was made.

The formal construction, posture, accompanying ornaments and accompanying animals and beasts are to a certain extent determined for Buddhist statues, which are the objects of worship. Since they are handed down as a form of stylistic beauty, Buddhist Sculptors learn the shapes and techniques of carvings from the works of the past.

The genealogy of Buddhist Sculptors, which has been passed down since the formation of Buddhism, has protected the lasting traditions and modality like a family tree in the form of Buddhist statues.