The work of Japanese artist Yasuaki Onishi has been compared to ethereal dreamscapes. He creates complex shapes with simple materials like dyed hot glue, clear plastic, and thread that inspire the imagination. Some see floating mountains, rain, and clouds, speaking to the broad scope of interpretation of his work. While Onishi’s flowing linear installations are site specific, they also celebrate the ‘happy accident’. Each piece begins with an organic object hung by fishing line, then connected to plastic sheets on which Onishi instinctively drizzles glue. Once the glue is dry, a cast of the object is revealed. For his recent series, “Vertical Emptiness”, Onishi borrowed from the form of tree branches hung vertically. Liquid urea was then sprayed on everything to create an effect like crystals on spiderwebs. Despite the medium being translucent, the result is an airy mass with naturally subtle gradations. Onishi hopes to express the emptiness that bridges the natural world to the fantastic illusion he has created. It’s this ability to honor what we can’t see that is most inspiring.
Vertical Emptiness
detail
Vertical Emptiness (Volume of Strings)
Faces meld together; severed, broken hands are fixed in gripped positions. These are sculptures by Los Angeles artist 
In 
In her latest series, “Seer,” mixed-media artist 
Alien meets House of Wax in