Culture
Sculptors Lab 05: Horror Sculptures Arrive in August
The 160-page art book brings together works by international artists and an interview with Motohiko Odani.
The art book "Sculptors Lab 05" is released in Japan on August 8, 2026, and focuses on sculptures meant to evoke fear, unease and awe. The fifth volume of the series centers on the theme "Scary Sculptures" and gathers works by artists from Japan and other countries.
As Anime!Anime! reports, the featured artists examine what people perceive as frightening and how that feeling can be made visible through form, material and design. The named contributors include Takayuki Takeya, Masato Ohata, Keisuke Yoneyama, Arya Hou, Keiki Fujimoto, Keisuke Aiso, MIDORO, Marin and Entei Ryu.
Interview and Competition in the Art Book
The volume opens with an interview with contemporary artist and sculptor Motohiko Odani. Under the title "The Fear That Arises from Imagination, and the Awe Inherent in Form," it addresses the relationship between sculpture and dread, and why certain forms are perceived as uncanny.
In addition, the issue presents the award-winning works from the fourth Sculptors Lab competition. Further submissions are also documented in a gallery, so that alongside established names, younger sculptors and figure artists are represented as well. The book runs 160 pages in special B5 format.
"Sculptors Lab 05" costs 2,400 yen before tax, or 2,640 yen including Japanese consumption tax. The source does not mention a German edition or distribution for the German-speaking market. In content terms, the publication is aimed above all at readers interested in figure making, creature design and the craft side of visual pop culture. For another look at current Japanese creative projects, see also the article on the anime film GROTESQQQUE.