kazuhiro tsuji's larger-than-life hyperrealistic 3D portrait of abraham lincoln

kazuhiro tsuji’s larger-than-life 3D portrait of abraham lincoln
all images courtesy of kazuhiro tsuji

kazuhiro tsuji: portrait of abraham lincoln
DAX gallery, costa mesa
now through july 25, 2015

following a 25-year-career as a special effects makeup artist in hollywood, california, japanese creative kazuhiro tsuji decidedly shifted focus, dedicating himself completely to the fine arts.

his series of hyper-realistic portrait sculptures comprise resin, platinum silicone, and many other materials in the creation of three-dimensional figures, spanning a scale more than two times the normal human proportions. from now until july 25, 2015, DAX gallery in costa mesa presents ‘portrait of abraham lincoln’, a larger-than-life-sized bust of the former american president that amazes viewers with its incredibly detailed facial characteristics and realistic qualities.

‘portrait of abraham lincoln’

‘my aim is to sculpt portraits that go beyond capturing a likeness’, tsuji says. ‘I create these heads from the inside out, bringing to life the appearance of inner thought and emotion as I layer the silicone. empathy serves as a primary guide to my process. I strive for a kind of reticence, an ambiguity that teases your curiosity to keep you guessing at what thoughts lurk behind those eyes.’

side view of the three-dimensional, hyper-realistic bust of the former american president

‘when a neutral expression is adjusted just right, it can trigger an illusion that the face is on the verge of sliding into different moods. it’s a kind of subtlety that serves as a mask hiding a complexity beneath. face to face, viewers approach the giant heads which are eight times bigger than life size in volume. the stillness and detail allow for close examination of each pore with a level of scrutiny not even permitted to lovers. the sculptures permit an impossibly close shared moment with the celebrated.’

meticulous work is applied to the parts of the face with hair, skin and eyes

a career in makeup art led the japanese creative to portrait sculpture

the bust of ‘portrait of abraham lincoln’ displayed on a wooden plinth

the making-of the ‘portrait of abraham lincoln’

working on the head and neck

a series of steps taken to achieve the three-dimensional portrait

work-in-progress