“The Birth of Blue Bird,” by Junichi Nakamura, World Ice Art Championships, 2005. Sculpted by the Japanese and French team of Junichi Nakamura, Daniel Reboltz, Shinichi Sawamura and Hitoshi Shimmoto. This ice sculpture was possibly more famous because of its falling than if it had stood.
Photo credit: Bruce Colell for Ice Alaska
“Mysterious Pearl” by Junichi Nakamura and Japan/USA teamnates: Shinicki Sawamura, Derek Maxfield, and Daniel Reboltz.
Photo credit: Rhonda Konicki and
Tula Belton for Ice Alaska
Junichi Nakamura
Mr. Nakamra is known as the artist whose work “defies gravity,” and usually does. He pushes the limits of the ice and is a recognized master ice carver. He has great compositions, proportions, textures and technique. We came to know this artist’s work through Ice Alaska’s site and a video found online.
You will notice on the photo showing the completed image of “Birth of Blue Bird,” that the final stanchion is still in place supporting the weight of the statue. After this photograph was taken, the last stancion was removed and this monumental carving fell to the ground and broke into many pieces. This really illustrates the ephemeral nature of these ice sculptures, disaster waits at every step of the way to completion. There was an excellent film clip on the Web showing these moments, the removing the stanchions, and the destruction of this piece, but it no longer appears to be available. It seems ironic that in breaking this sculpture became more famous.
Pushing of the laws of balance is one of Junichi Nakamura strengths. He is known as a sculptor whose work is gravity-defying, but in this case it didn’t. Nakamura is a daring and that is why his sculpture, whether it falls, as in “Birth of Blue Bird,” or stands, as in “Mysterious Pearl,” or ”King of the Sky,” to name just a couple, can be appreciated for its magical balance alone. …more