Japanese artist Sayaka Kajita Ganz chose discarded plastics as medium for her reclaimed creations; 3D sculptures of different animal forms inspired by her belief in Shinto animism. Although she empathizes with all types of discarded objects, she currently focuses her artistry and energy on discarded plastic materials.

She looks into household items as sources of plastic wastes with which to create different animal forms that project self-awareness and a sense of movement.

Her fascination for plastics as medium, stems from the variety of their colors and curvilinear forms. The materials allow her to manipulate and put them together the way artists use their brush strokes, while her goal is to create 3D impressions similar to the effects applied by Van Gogh in his paintings.

The Essence of Sayaka Ganz’s Reclaimed Creations

Sayaka Ganz describes her reclaimed creation as one that encourages perceiving harmony even in situations that appear chaotic. She points at the gaps, holes and lightly hinged joints in her sculptures, which one sees when viewing her artpiece up close. Yet when viewed at a distance, one will see the harmony revealed by the sculpture despite its chaotic composition.

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She compares this to how she perceives problems and of her tendency to look closely at details; of focusing mainly on the gaps and differences of opinions. Yet if she steps back, she gains a larger perspective of the current problem. In stepping away, she is able to perceive that there are different approaches to solving a problem but all leads to a common goal.

Currently, Ms. Ganz’s sculptures are included in the “Can’t You Sea? | Ocean Plastic ARTifacts” exhibit at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina along with five other visual art artists. Since June 28 of this year, Ms. Ganz also launched her “Reclaimed Creations Traveling Exhibitions”, which will be at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Stamford, Connecticut until September 02, 2019.