His figures in armors have fascinated us since the art book of his previous exhibition had come out in 2014. Apparently, we had not seen something like this anywhere else before. His latest exhibit “From Medieval with love” was held at Pola Annex Museum in Tokyo till September 2, 18.

His craftsmanship is supreme. He makes everything by hand. Helmets, armors, weapons, kimono underneath, tabi socks, and sandals or sneakers, ( yes, sneakers for samurai! ) It takes him several months to make one figure from scratch. Everybody and their stories are created solely by his imagination. He gives them new life in the third millennium.

Once you see them or meet should I say, your eyes are glued to them. You just want to wait and don’t want to miss what happens next because they seem to wake up in any moment or just look up and say something to you. You see they have souls whether they’re sleeping or just wondering. You will be carrying a conversation with them once you’re in front of them.

None of these people has big smiles. They all look somewhat sad or melancholic, but they may provoke laughter in us because we find that they are going through the same emotions we go through everyday. Suddenly they look humorous.

It is magical and yet the experience itself is real. Surely Noguchi’s little samurais will be missed until next exhibition. It’s highly recommended to go and see them when you have a chance. Noguchi’s talent must be shared and their message is universal. The art book “From Medieval with love” is available for purchase.

"Sleep Away"

"Human Race"

 

"The Deer"