Teppei Kaneuji lives and works in Kyoto Japan. He burst on to the art scene with his wildly colourful, monster-like assemblages that are constructed from the plastic hair pieces taken from toy action characters. Kaneuji says the inspiration for these figures came from watching a crowd of people swaying at a concert. In part, his fantastical creations are a comment on today’s consumer overconsumption. "I was often at home by myself and I sometimes felt alone, says Kaneuji, "so I would put up my drawings and clay figures, hold stuffed animals, read my favourite manga and watch television. I think I was sensitive to the power held by those actions." His sculptures are both whimsical and intimidating. It is left to the viewer to sort out these conflicting messages.
