Akiho x Sculptures

Kaneko’s largest works are his Dangos, referenced in Akiho’s orchestral finale, in that space, at that time. Brown writes, “Each [Dango] is an island in space but also an element of an archipelago: unique and self-sufficient but reflecting implicit kinship with others that have come before and more that are yet to be.” Dangos are the product of Kaneko coming to Omaha in the mid-1980s, at the invitation of then Ree Schonlau, and realizing that he could construct large, closed sculptures that often towered over the creator but still provided stillness, intimacy, and calm. When struck, Akiho found that each carries a unique voice but return to silence almost immediately. He worked to capture his initial, overwhelmed reaction to the pieces, akin to walking amidst calm giants. Ultimately, in that space, at that time is about one’s experience and Kaneko’s artistic core: the ma created by being with these works, in their space, at the time given.