Sleeping Boy, 2014
clay, plaster
size: 120 x 60 cm, dimensions may vary
With A Sleeping Boy, Koizumi attempts to gain control of his own fears - specifically, the irrational fear that his newborn son might die. He felt an almost primal instinct to protect his child. To conquer this fear, Koizumi sat by his sleeping so son's bedside, night after night. He meticulously recreated the boy's head, hands and feet in clay.
The result was a fragile sculpture of detached body parts in clay and plaster, evoking both tenderness and unease. Through this work, Koizumi has allowed his deep-seated fears to take on tangible form.
