Wagasa
2020 - Legacy Commission
Recognition
Best in Show - Northern Alberta Wood Carvers Association
Annual Show (2023)
Wood Worker Section Winner - Calgary Stampede
Western Lifestyles Competition (2023)
Material
Basswood — single laminated block
Fully subtractive carving • Rotating center medallion • Pyrography detailing
Approx. 24" diameter × ¾" depth
Context
Wagasa was commissioned to honour the family lineage of the Konno family. The commissioner’s grandparents emigrated from Japan to Canada prior to the Japanese-Canadian internment, during which their family was displaced and lost their farm and livelihood. Despite this loss, the family preserved their identity through a family crest — the Konno kamon — which is carved into one side of the central medallion.
The overall form is based on a traditional Japanese paper umbrella, whose radial geometry provides the structural and visual framework for the piece. The composition also incorporates an ume (plum) branch, a traditional symbol of resilience, endurance, and renewal in the face of hardship, reinforcing the family’s story of perseverance. The opposite face of the rotating center features the family name rendered from brushwork performed by a master calligrapher, translated directly into carved linework.
The center medallion rotates freely, allowing the work to present two distinct visual states — one featuring the family crest, and the other the family name — without removing the piece from the wall. All tonal variation is achieved through pyrography and controlled burning rather than pigment, preserving the integrity of the wood while introducing depth, shadow, and graphic contrast.
Intent
The intent of Wagasa was to create an heirloom object that embodies memory, lineage, and cultural continuity. The radial structure of the traditional wagasa form is preserved in wood, translating the familiar geometry of the umbrella into a sculptural object. The carved ribs converge toward the center, reinforcing the symbolic idea of shared origin and ancestry.
Rather than a static carving, the piece is designed as an object of interaction — the viewer can physically rotate the center medallion to shift the focal point between family identity and family name. The inclusion of the ume (plum) branch, a traditional symbol of resilience and renewal, strengthens the narrative of perseverance woven through the family’s history. The calligraphic carving, based directly on a master’s brush stroke, preserves not just the written name but the gesture and movement of the original hand.
Through material, motion, and symbolic language, the work bridges personal history and cultural identity, functioning as both a sculptural object and a living expression of heritage.
