Satoru Koizumi's carved wood sculptures of human people dressed as animals provide a discreetly critical look at contemporary society. His sculptures exhibit childlike expressions that juxtapose with the underlying seclusion and anxiety. Koizumi's work delves into the human condition, contrasting natural and instinctual forces with progress and civilisation. The neutral colors and gritty textures of his sculptures defy the kitsch, color-saturated, consumerist aesthetics of Japanese kawaii.

Koizumi's art is inspired by traditional Japanese wood carving skills, and he has developed his own contemporary style of classic wood carving techniques. The pleasant appearances of his sculptures mask a comment on modern society's loss of connection to nature.

• Beginnings

  Satoru Koizumi was born in 1983 in Japan and was mostly creatively motivated by the 1990s. At the outset of the decade, a group of painters in the United Kingdom known as the YBAs, or Young British Artists, characterized art in the 1990s. They were a heterogeneous group of artists united by their age, country, and affiliation with Goldsmiths and the Royal College of Art in London, as well as their patronage by super collector Charles Saatchi during the time.

• Most Famous Works

  Among his most famous works include Animal Human - Arabian Oryx, Animal Human - Giraffe, and Arabian Oryx.

• Style & Technique

  Koizumi's work is based on Japanese wood carving traditions, and he has established his own contemporary style of classic wood carving techniques.
  
  
  Because the traditional woodworking tools most suited to the artist's profession are no longer commonly made, he manufactures several of his own tools in addition to his artworks.

• Themes

  Satoru Koizumi's carved wood sculptures of human characters costumed as animals offer a subtly critical commentary on modern life. His sculptures have youthful expressions that contrast with the isolation and concern that pervades the environment. Koizumi's work delves into the human condition, juxtaposing notions of nature and instinct with conceptions of progress and civilization.
  
  
  His sculptures' neutral colors and rough surfaces defy the kitsch, color-saturated, consumerist aesthetics of the Japanese concept of kawaii (cute). Koizumi's work is influenced by Japanese wood carving traditions, and he has established his own contemporary style of classic wood carving techniques. His sculptures' attractive look belies their reflection on modern society's damaged connection to nature.
  
  
  Koizumi illustrates how modern civilization creates unpleasant emotions and hampers sentiments of mental and spiritual well-being, as evidenced by the sad expressions of works such as Lesser Panda (2017).

• Success

  Satoru Koizumi's art has already been displayed in a number of important galleries and institutions, including the Aki Gallery in Taipei. Satoru Koizumi's work has been auctioned several times, with realized prices ranging from 869 USD to 130,007 USD depending on size and medium. Since 2018, the highest auction price for this artist has been 130,007 USD for Animal Human - Arabian Oryx, which was sold at Ravenel, Taipei in 2021. Satoru Koizumi is featured in MutualArt's artist press archive in K11 Musea Joins Apportfolio for "POP INFINITY" Collectible Art Exhibition, a piece from HYPEBEAST in August 2020.