Japanese sculptor Tetsuo Harada died in Fresnay-l'Evêque

He was a figure recognized by all culture lovers in Eure-et-Loir, as in Loiret.

The Japanese sculptor Tetsuo Harada died on November 23 following a long illness in his village of Fresnay-l'Evêque, near Ymonville, where he had his workshop.

What are these astonishing sculptures that appeared in the city center of Chartres?

Born in 1949 in Niigata, in the northwest of Japan, Tetsuo Harada is best known for his career in France, which he developed from the 1990s. He is notably at the origin of a concept called Earth weaving (in French: weaving the earth), with an ecological scope, which aims to restore harmony in the immediate environment.

A monumental work installed in La Loupe

In Orléans, his most emblematic work, Earth Knittingis located in the garden of a private mansion. A stainless steel sculpture, The Forms of Lifehas been installed for several months at the Departmental Archives of Loiret.

In Eure-et-Loir, Tetsuo Harada has also exhibited his work on numerous occasions, notably in Chartres in 2018, where an ephemeral tour of his sculptures was installed, notably at Place des Halles or at the Jardins de l'évêché.

the sculpture of Tetsuo Harada inaugurated

He also took over the International Stained Glass Center the same year with his hybrid works, using various materials (stone, wood or marble, etc.).

More recently, in July 2022, in La Loupe, the artist inaugurated a monumental sculpture 3 meters high, Marriage. For the occasion, a delegation from the Japanese embassy made the trip. His funeral will be celebrated on Monday at Chartres Cathedral.

Rémi Bonnet