Naginata 3D Sculptures

Forms in Motion: Sculpting the Language of Naginata. Digital abstractions of martial knowledge.

This series consists of eight digital sculptures derived from Shikake-Ōji, the foundational paired routines of Naginata, a traditional Japanese weapon-based martial art. Though choreographed, these routines serve as a comprehensive training method, encompassing the majority of strikes, defensive movements, and footwork fundamental to the discipline.

Each sculpture was generated by recreating a routine in a 3D environment, isolating, tracking and replicating the trajectory of the weapon while omitting the practitioners. The result is a set of abstract forms that transform fleeting martial gestures into solid spatial traces—an exploration of rhythm, structure, and the poetics of combat through digital means.

Through the process of translating these movements into sculpture, I developed a deeper understanding of the art itself. Studying the flow and positions in a digital context required a heightened attention to detail, which unexpectedly refined my physical practice—blurring the line between observation, creation, and embodiment.