Momo Taro 1978

Isamu Noguchi, the Japanese-American artist, created 'Momo Taro' using stone. Noguchi’s bicultural identity shaped his artistic vision, blending Eastern and Western aesthetics. This sculpture is named after a popular Japanese folktale about a boy born from a peach, highlighting Noguchi’s connection to his heritage and the theme of identity. The artist creates an interesting emotional dichotomy within the viewer, with the piece exuding both a sense of ancient timelessness through the rugged materiality of the stone, and a light-hearted, youthful energy through its reference to folk stories. Noguchi navigates the complex terrain of cultural identity, as the artwork acts as a personal statement that celebrates his Japanese heritage while speaking to universal themes of belonging and origin.