“I was commissioned to create the portrait of the great Aikido Master Hirokazu Kobayashi by Master Andrè Cognard in 2018, and it was inaugurated at the Aikido Academy in Bourg-Argental in France to commemorate 20 years of his death.

The making of this bronze bust was not easy at all, considering the poor photographic material.

The photos did not match with each other, as they were taken with different expressions as well as in the various phases of the Master’s life, and also many were taken from afar. 

I’m used to making custom sculptures from photo, but in this case I had to spend a lot of time to be able to make the portrait because of these poor quality images, which made the job very difficult. 

For this reason, when I sent the photos of the portrait I was creating to Maestro Andrè Cognard, I was afraid that something was wrong, but with great relief he answered that by looking at the photos of the portrait he seemed to have him alive in front of him. He was struck by the gaze, he said, which was alive and present.

When I am commissioned to make a custom bust sculpture and the moment of bronze casting arrives (which is strictly done with the “lost wax” bronze casting technique), my experience has taught me to use a partner foundry that is recognised as one of the best three foundries in the world. It is the only one that gives me the absolute guarantee that the work will be carried out with the utmost care and precision, and that the bronze does not reveal any irremediable defects over the years, such as the aesthetically ugly flaw typical of cheaper bronze sculptures. 

In a nutshell, the work must be done “up to standard”.

In fact, too many bronze statues seen around are unfortunately saturated with inappropriate welds that emerge over the years, with the excuse of saving on the cost of casting, together with plastering flaws caused by a bad and hasty procedure that involves the transition from clay to bronze.

I always oversee every smallest phase of the transformation, both as regards the wax phase, which is crucial for the success of the work, and that of the bronze chiselling, up to the last part, the coating. 

The only casting process that guarantees both the production and the duration of a work over time is that of the artists and artisans of ancient Greece, namely so-called ” lost wax bronze casting” (Please note: this is the same ancient technique used to make the “Riace Bronzes”!).

But returning to the delivery of the commemorative custom bust sculpture I was commissioned to make of the great Master – who is a true icon for all Aikido practitioners around the world – I like to remember the three days dedicated to him, involving practice in the Dojo, celebration, meditation and prayer.