Before beginning the sculpture, I repeat a series of drawings to refine the concept, clarify the pose, and narrow the central theme.

The armature is assembled first. I use a custom bent steel armature designed specifically to support a life-size figure.

The limbs and head are formed with thick wire, and clay is added roughly around the structure. Because a life-size clay sculpture can weigh around 200 kg, the clay must be firmly attached from the beginning to prevent collapse later.

While repeatedly checking the central axis and structural lines through drawing, I confirm again and again that the overall movement matches the image I am seeking.

Once the overall structure begins to settle, I start building the muscular forms and clarifying the anatomy of the figure.

I continually check whether anatomical landmarks, such as the pelvis, are placed correctly within the flow of the body, revising the modeling as needed.

The modeling continues until the whole figure has a convincing sense of volume. For my work, the building of flesh and mass is one of the most important stages.

After the overall balance is established, I move on to refining the smaller forms and details throughout the body.

The fingertips are also crucial because they determine the final flow and expression of the sculpture. I work on them carefully without treating them as secondary details.

The clay original is completed. For me, this is the halfway point of the entire process. The work will then move through mold making, acrylic resin casting, and final surface finishing.

Mark the planned parting lines for the mold with ink in advance.

Insert thin brass sheets along the marked lines to define the mold divisions.

Apply the first, more fluid layer of plaster carefully over the surface of the clay figure.

Once the first layer has set, cover the entire mold with plaster-soaked sisal fiber to build strength.

Carve back the plaster surface until the line of the brass sheets becomes visible.

Reinforce the mold from the outside with wooden supports to prevent damage or distortion.

Pour water into the seams and carefully open the mold along the parting lines.

Once the mold is opened, remove the clay from inside, working gradually from the upper parts of the figure.

After completing the plaster negative mold, clean away any remaining clay from the interior surface.

Apply potassium soap evenly to the inner surface of the mold as a release agent.

Pour the first layer of acrylic resin into the mold.

After the first layer has cured, apply thickened acrylic resin and lay glass fiber cloth into it before it hardens, leaving no gaps.

Insert a wooden internal structure for reinforcement, and secure it firmly to the body with glass fiber cloth soaked in acrylic resin.

Apply acrylic resin and glass fiber cloth along the rim of the mold, then align and close the mold parts securely.

After the resin has cured, break away the outer plaster mold and remove the cast sculpture from inside.

Grind and refine the surface so that the mold seams disappear and the form is corrected.

Fill small scratches and surface imperfections with putty, then smooth the surface.

Repeat the sanding process many times until the desired surface quality is achieved.

Apply urethane paint in multiple thin spray coats.

Once the painting is complete, the sculpture reaches its final finished form.

Place the sculpture to be molded on a base made from cut Styrofoam, positioning it securely for the silicone molding process.

Cut additional Styrofoam pieces and adjust the support so that the height around the work is as even and stable as possible.

Build up the surrounding area with oil-based clay. Carefully fill any gaps where the clay meets the sculpture, using a spatula to create a tight seal.

Create a clay retaining wall around the work to prevent the silicone from leaking. Pack oil-based clay into all openings and edges to ensure a complete seal.

Form registration keys around the mold using a ball-ended spatula or similar tool. These indentations help the two silicone halves align accurately later.

Pour silicone rubber over the entire surface. Pour from a higher point in a thin stream to reduce air bubbles. For highly detailed works, degas the silicone before pouring.

Once the silicone has cured, apply plaster over it to create a rigid support shell, often called a mother mold or backup mold.

Add three pyramid-shaped plaster supports so that the mold can stand securely and remain stable when placed on a flat surface.

After the plaster support has cured, turn the mold over, remove the oil-based clay, and expose the opposite side of the silicone mold. Build a new clay wall in the same manner.

After the clay wall is complete, carefully apply a wax-based release agent to the silicone surface so that the second silicone layer will not bond to the first.

When the release agent has dried, pour silicone rubber over the opposite side using the same method as before.

Create the plaster support shell for the second side in the same way. After it has cured, remove the plaster supports and silicone layers in order. The two-part silicone mold is now complete.

A blend of beeswax, paraffin wax, and microcrystalline wax is heated until melted, then carefully brushed into the silicone mold to create the first wax layer.

After both sides of the mold have been coated with wax, the mold is closed tightly with rubber bands. Melted wax is then poured through the opening at the underside of the base. If the wax is too hot, it may melt the brushed-on wax layer, so it should be allowed to cool slightly before pouring.

Once the wax has cooled, the entire mold is placed in a water-filled container to further chill and harden the wax. After the wax has fully solidified, the wax model is removed from the silicone mold.

Using a heated metal spatula or similar tool, the seam lines and excess wax are removed from the wax model. The surface is carefully refined and repaired.

Wax rods are attached across the surface to create channels for the molten bronze to flow through. Metal pins are also inserted to hold the internal refractory core in place, allowing the final bronze sculpture to remain hollow.

Finely sifted chamotte and refractory plaster are mixed with water, then carefully applied to the surface of the wax model to form the first detailed investment layer.

A cylindrical enclosure is made from a thin sheet of galvanized metal. A mixture of coarse refractory plaster and chamotte is poured into the enclosure, taking care not to strike the sculpture directly.

To create the hollow interior of the sculpture, finely sifted refractory plaster is mixed with water and carefully poured into the inside of the wax model through the opening at the underside of the base.

The investment mold containing the wax model is placed in the kiln and fired for more than 24 hours. During this process, the wax is completely melted out, leaving a hollow cavity for the bronze.

The investment mold is now complete. Because it is extremely fragile, it must be handled with great care. To prevent damage, the exterior is reinforced with coarse burlap soaked in plaster.

To prevent the pressure of the molten bronze from breaking the mold during casting, the investment molds are buried securely in the ground.

Molten bronze is poured into the mold through the pouring cup. To prevent slag from blocking the sprues, the casting is performed by two people: one removes impurities while the other pours the bronze steadily.

After approximately two hours, once the bronze has cooled, the investment mold is broken away and the sculpture is removed. Because the bronze remains extremely hot, careful attention must be paid to safety.

The internal refractory core used to make the bronze hollow is completely removed, often with a high-pressure washer and other tools.

All sprues and casting channels attached to the bronze are cut away using a disc grinder.

Holes left by core pins or gas vents are plugged with bronze rods. The repaired areas are then chased, hammered, filed, and refined until the joins are no longer visible.

The surface is heated with a torch to create an oxide layer and apply the patina. In this case, a sulfur-containing solution was sprayed onto the surface to create a subtle verdigris tone on the bronze.

The bronze sculpture is complete.

The original sculpture is captured as 3D data using a 3D scanner.

The scanned data is converted into a mesh and refined in ZBrush. Areas with scanning errors are corrected, and the model is divided into printable parts for 3D printing.

The completed 3DCG data is exported as an OBJ file and prepared for 3D printing in slicing software. For this work, the model was printed with an Elegoo Neptune 4 Max.

After approximately 36 hours of printing, the support structures are carefully removed from the printed model.

Each printed part is assembled using Konishi Quick Mender adhesive. The layer lines on the surface are then carefully sanded.Although 3D printing is often imagined as an automatic digital process, a large part of the final quality depends on hand finishing and sculptural judgment.

Remaining layer lines can reduce the quality of the work, so the surface is sanded thoroughly over time. A thinned acrylic resin coating is applied with an air spray to help fill the printed texture.

When removing the layer lines, the surface must not simply be made smooth. The sanding process also needs to recover the flow of the muscles and the sculptural structure that were present in the original clay modeling. After this stage, a black urethane base coat is sprayed onto the surface.

To create a reduced-scale version of the original sculpture, the printed work is finished with a coating that corresponds to the original. In this case, a metallic IZU-color finish was applied.

Through this process, a reduced-scale version of the original sculpture can be created using 3D printing technology. However, as the process shows, the result is not produced by the machine alone. It becomes a sculpture through repeated handwork, finishing, and the sculptor’s technical judgment.

3D printing opens new possibilities for figurative sculpture. Even when a life-size work cannot be installed in a private space, a carefully produced smaller edition can allow collectors and art lovers to experience the presence and quality of the original work in a more accessible form.

The 3D data of the original sculpture is captured using a 3D scanner.

The scanned data is converted into a mesh and refined in ZBrush. Irregularities caused by the scanning process are carefully corrected.

Using the iPad version of ZBrush, the digital model is adjusted in detail while constantly comparing it with the original sculpture from multiple angles.

After the main body is corrected, costume elements, hair ornaments, and other details are digitally sculpted and attached to the 3DCG model in ZBrush.

Because this project is based on Nijinsky’s Le Spectre de la Rose, the costume is colored with ZBrush PolyPaint while referring to visual research materials.

The pose of the original sculpture is transformed into a T-pose using functions such as Transpose Master in ZBrush, preparing the model for animation.

PolyPaint is also applied to the body of the T-pose model in an attempt to evoke the appearance of Nijinsky. UV unwrapping and other preparations are then carried out for animation.

A ballet dancer wears Sony mocopi motion-capture sensors to record the movements for the AR animation.

The dancer performs movements inspired by Le Spectre de la Rose, and the motion data is captured for use in the digital model.

The motion data is linked to the 3DCG model. The animated model and the physical sculpture are aligned through anchoring, and the experience is developed as an application for Meta Quest 3 using Unity.

Hand tracking is used so that touching the physical sculpture becomes the trigger for the animation. The project aims to create a new interactive experience between sculpture, body, and digital motion.

Through the AR headset, viewers experience a costumed Nijinsky emerging from the nude sculpture of Nijinsky, as if another presence is being released from within the still figure.

This step shows the moment when Nijinsky emerges from the sculpture and begins to dance. The project attempts to give life to an otherwise motionless sculpture through AR.

The animation ends as the digital figure returns toward the original sculpture and gradually fades out.