Hakone Sculpture Park - Japan

Outdoor Sculpture Park

Hakone, Japan

Along my travels through Japan, we came across a small town in a natural park just outside of Tokyo. There wasn't a lot to do there apart from admire the scenery and eat amazing food. However, after some research into the town we found out that there was a sculpture park only a short train ride away. Not only was it outdoors but it also included a pavilion dedicated to the work of Picasso. As well as this, the park was brimming with hugely famous sculptors.

Henry Moore

Family Group 

1948 - 1949

Two Piece Reclining Figure : Points

1969 - 1970















Reclining Figure : Angles

1979

what I like most about Henry Moore's sculptures are the positions in which they are set. This piece in particular has adopted a very unique and interesting position. The other aspect I enjoy is the suitability of the positioning. It is as though the sculpture is admiring the beautiful settings around it, something I also found myself doing.







Atom Piece ( Working Model for Nucleus )

1964 - 1965

Lynn Chadwick

Two Seated Figures II

1973

Jean Arp

Pépin Géant

1937

One of my favourite pieces of the whole park was this chromatic, gold form in the middle of a patch of perfectly cut green grass. The way the surroundings and weather bounced off the smooth and rounded form gave for a bright and eye catching sculpture.  

Antony Gormley

Close

1950

The more humorous piece featured in the exhibition that put a smile on my face was this naked bronze man faced down in the grass. The form and position of the sculpture was very relatable, especially by a student such as myself.

François Morellet

Sphère - Trames

1926

Another one of my favourites, this hanging sculpture was made up of layers of hatched metal rods that slowly spun underneath some trees catching the trickling of sunlight. The photo doesn't do it any justice as you can't experience the illusion.

Picasso

Situated as the far end of the park behind a man-made mound was a large, two story pavilion filled with the work of Picasso. What caught my attention more than the work inside was the typography on the side of the building. As you can see from the image on the left, the setting of the park was absolutely stunning. The flowing lines of the mountains behind combined with a blue sky and the green, healthy grass resulted in a truly unique setting. However, I noticed that the huge black type on the side of the building was a lot more harsh and bold than anything surrounding it which made it stick out like a sore thumb. I thought it was a little too contrasting from the rest of the park.

Giuliano Vangi

Grande Racconto

2004