Since 1998, Fumiaki Aono has been interested in how objects circulate and what happens when they appear in new contexts. Questions of restoration and regeneration naturally followed, and wood became a prime medium for exploring these themes.

Today, Aono continues to revitalize found objects, particularly discarded furniture. Dressers, chests, and cabinets stack into towering assemblages and become the imaginative backdrop for the artist’s constructed scenes. Converted drawers appear like apartment buildings on a summer day, with tenants leaning out windows and hanging out at street level. Several works also depict box trucks and other vehicles emerging from wooden furnishings, while bicycles, hats, and shoes jut from the edges of sculptures to convey a sense of movement and evolution.

After experimenting with plywood and timber, Aono’s transition to secondhand furniture added a conceptual layer to the pieces. These objects “brought the old memories and lived histories of people into the imagery of the work. In recent years, my concept of ‘regeneration’ has evolved beyond mere physical form; it has become a highly complex and multifaceted process encompassing history, memory, ancient legends, and the deep psyche,” he says.

Explore more from the artist on his website and Instagram.