Born in Kobe in 1958, Yuji Honbori graduated with a degree in sculpture from the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, and currently lives and works in Kobe in the Hyogo prefecture. Honbori produces statues of Buddha through means of used cardboard and paper cartons. Such works appear permeable from the front, while at the same time fragments of cardboard emerge stereoscopically when viewed from the side. Honbori finds significance in reusing materials that we consume in our daily lives such as wood, paper, newspapers, and milk cartons in the context of his work.
Nevertheless Honbori defines the concept of his practice as not specifically pertaining to ecological issues and recycling, but rather as more concerned with metempsychosis as articulated in Buddhism. Honbori had arrived at working with the material of cardboard that is both easily attainable and manipulated due to his hesitation in using new materials after experiencing the Great Hanshin Earthquake. The strength and dignity of Honbori's works lie in the almost discrepant act of creating statues of Buddha that are subjects of admiration and worship from used cardboard that has fulfilled its purpose. The exhibition comprises of an installation work that replicates the Yakushido (hall of worship for the Yakushi Buddha), and a large-scale statue of the Fudo Myo-o (a dharmapala primarily revered in Vajrayana Buddhism).