Misato Sano’s studio in Miyagi holds stacks of wooden offcuts, heavy lumber, and standard woodworking tools. The space gets strong natural light. Within it, the artist has spent several years carving a growing cast of dogs, each treated as a distinct character.
The work centers on self-portraiture. Each sculpture maps a specific state, from reserved and uneasy to animated and playful. Sano describes the process as a way to externalize internal shifts through gesture and expression. The figures carry that intent in posture, scale, and surface detail.
Technique drives much of the read. Sano carves camphor wood, a material common in Japanese woodworking for its workability and scent. She cuts dimpled textures into the surface to suggest different coat types. After carving, she applies oil paint. The paint catches in the recesses, producing subtle variation across the form.
Proportions are pushed. Limbs extend, fur bulges into rounded clusters, and nails are oversized. These choices keep the figures legible at a distance and reinforce their character-driven approach.
The same language appears in adjacent media. Sano develops embroidery with repeated stitches and ink drawings built from grids. Both formats repeat marks to reach a steady rhythm, continuing the same internal dialogue seen in the sculptures.
Three exhibitions are scheduled for 2025. A duo show opens this month at the Kan Hai Art Museum in Taiwan. In August, work travels to Nucleus Portland for the gallery’s 10th anniversary. A third exhibition follows at Igoone Arai in Miyagi.
