#04 – Flatworks: Box #1 (All Around You, 2024) by Mitsuru Koga

Description:
“Boxes are moving sculptures…created by everyone.” -Koga, ‘Warehouse’ published in 2012

Somewhere between mass production and craft, Mitsuru Koga’s Flatwork Boxes deftly call attention to the subtle beauty of the corrugated box. Even though Koga’s boxes look manufactured, they are in fact created by hand with exacting precision. By screenprinting the box’s labels, barcodes and marks, and by making the tape himself, Koga takes the ordinary and makes it quietly extraordinary. Playing with this utilitarian aesthetic, each flatwork takes its inspiration from boxes traveling the world, accumulating scuffs and markings along the way. Each flatwork piece is signed with the artist’s signature and is displayed in a wooden frame and acrylic.

Measurements:
17.5″ x 14.5″ x 2″

History: 
Based in Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, Mitsuru Koga infuses life into mundane materials, transforming them into objects of art. These transformations reflect Koga’s commitment to exploring the delicate relationship between man and object. With his flatworks, Koga takes three-dimensional objects and flattens them. The resulting two-dimensional forms point to the original use of these items—boxes, paint cans and baskets—while subtracting their utility. These works reflect both the beauty of Koga’s fine craftsmanship and the humor of rendering the functional functionless.

Materials:
Cardboard, tape, paper, plastic, screenprinting

Variation: 
One of a kind

Care Instructions:
The flatworks are fragile. Please handle with care.

 

Art pieces are final sale.