Chōmushin

Tanabe Chikuunsai IV & Sawako Kaijima

The bamboo sculpture Chōmushin, a collaboration between Tanabe Chikuunsai IV and architect Sawako Kaijima, draws inspiration from the writings of Zen monk Ryōkan (1758–1831), who cherished the subtle interplay of natural elements.

Its undulating, interwoven forms evoke organic motifs — seashells, coral, or growing cells — celebrating the harmony between humanity and nature. Bamboo, a living, supple, and resilient material, here embodies the quiet strength and adaptability of the vegetal world.

The gradients of red, shifting between depth and translucency, echo the changing quality of natural light and imbue the structure with a sense of perpetual motion.

Kaijima’s architectural precision merges the ancestral craft of Japanese bamboo weaving with a contemporary digital aesthetic, inviting a Zen-like contemplation of balance — between tradition and innovation, nature and geometry.