Hiroshi Shafer

Hiroshi Shafer was born in Tokyo, Japan. He received a BFA from Tokyo Zoukei Art University in Tokyo in 1997, Japan.

He moved to New York 2004. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

He has exhibited nationally and internationally including Fountain Art fair Miami Fl., Exit Art Gallery, NYC, NY., Flux Factory, Queens., God of Love workshop in Prague Czech Republic, Yogiga Expression Gallery seoul, South Korea, Hakusen Gallery Tokyo.

"I am interested in the visual vocabulary that arises between both New York City and Toyko culture. The similarities of the two cultures ignite my desire to craft and create a reflection of such dedication in creative practices. This is a constant thread within my creativity. My work is also known to embody the satirical impression of the lack of practicality brought on by these cultures. Through the interpretive form of my sculptures, comes freedom which gives way to social curiosity. It is the universalized culture of the people of New York City which continues to serve as the creative platform which drives my ever-evolving sculptural endeavors. 

My recent Project “avec” which comes from the French preposition word "avec" (With) meant “Couple” in the ’80s in Japan. Imported words are often mistranslated in my Country. This weird social phenomenon inspires this Project “avec” in Japan.  

 Mansion(Jp) = Apartment(EN), consent(Jp) = outlet (EN),

Hotchkiss (Jp) = stapler (EN) Etc…..

Pair of Spoons or Plural Spoons are representing the uncomfortable and unusual truths in our lives.  Ultimately, my aim through conversational provocative sculpture is to tickle the profound truth out of each person. My sculpture provides the necessary highway for people to discuss such shared perspectives.  

North and south on magnets are strange but usually natural science in the textbook.  I install magnets in the section of each joint of my sculptures.  It makes unbalance positioning also an impossibly small part of the joint. Also, you can’t tell where the position of the magnets is from the surface. I use the main structure of the piece as maple wood. It makes a super small size of spoon or thin shape. I couldn’t make it happy with another media.   EX. Plastics or metal."