Toru Oba

Toru Oba (born 1945) is an American sculptor born in Minazawa, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan into a family of traditional landowners and artists. Toru grew up in the mountains of rural Yamagata. He completed his early schooling in Yamagata and later finished his education in Tokyo.

He has lived in Russia and France.  In 1969, Oba moved to La Roque-sur-Cèze, France. He apprenticed with French stonemasons working on the 11th century stone village. He lived in France with his wife and daughter until 1972. Then he moved to rural West Virginia, United States, where he created Japanese style gardens, Russian, Finnish and Rumford style fireplaces.  In 1984, Toru became an instructor of a stone masonry workshop at the Lama Foundation in Taos, New Mexico. Oba subsequently became a founding member of "The Stone Foundation" based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In 1985, Oba moved with his wife and two daughters, to central Virginia, where he currently resides.  Toru's work evolved towards landscape features and monumental sculptural structures such as Japanese style lakes, waterfalls, massive sculpted stone benches, tables, and freestanding contemporary sculpture. "Toru's stone work is always art".
Oba's style is "rough surfaces juxtaposed against smooth ones, wide-open spaces, and nature-like arrangements– betrays a very Japanese aesthetic".  Currently Oba has six monumental sculptures prominently displayed in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia at the McGuffey Art Center and has worked at 531 N. First St in the same town.  Oba's work is on display at the Brad Smith Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico and in private collections around the world.

Filmography

References 

 Steinberg, Aaron. "Stone Man: Toru Oba Rocks", The Hook, 15 May 2003. Retrieved on 15 May 2003.
 McRaven, Charles (1997), Techniques and Projects, Storey Communication.

 McRaven, Charles (2007), Stone Primer, Storey Publishing.

 Ifeng, Tianjin (2012), Stone Features in Garden Design,Phoenix Publishing Limited,,

External links 

Official Web Site

Category:1945 births
Category:Living people
Category:American sculptors
Category:Japanese emigrants to the United States
Category:Japanese sculptors
Category:Stonemasons