Permeable Existence No.9, 2025

Mike Sasaki   Emerging artists

This abstract, freestanding sculpture is carved in Basswood, a wood which lends itself well to hand carving. After sculpting the form with well-tuned tools, the surface is filed and sanded smooth over the course of many hours in a process which refines the form to the utmost as well as brings a high resolution clarity to the marbling grain figure. Two coats of buffed hard wax (paste wax) imparts a satin sheen to the already smooth surface. 

As I was making the final refinements of the piece, I recall how sensitive the form was with regards to the relationship between the overall shape, the inner openings and the spaces between the elements. It was another reminder of the essential role that proportions play in form.

The title of the piece can refer to the permeability of physical objects on the one hand and a more metaphysical permeability on the other.  As the physical inquiry moves from the space between and around atomic particles into a world within and encompassing the atoms—a world comprised only of energy, light and vibration—the cue arises for a more metaphysical contemplation of Existential permeability.

The interplay between material and space is a common theme throughout my sculptural work. And in the geometry of Permeable Existence No.9, the presence of this concept of inseparable duality could not be more evident. Does the double opening carry any significance in comparison to a single opening? When considered mathematically, a double torus is distinctly different from a single torus. And from an arithmetical perspective, the two openings can be seen to symbolize duality or even multiplicity.

The freestanding piece is very versatile in regards to placement and lighting. With its two openings, the piece will create a vast sense of depth in the chosen space. Try illuminating with multiple lights.