“Have you ever had that painful feeling when you’re with someone, and you realize you’ll never meet someone like them again? That person for me, who suddenly appeared in my life, was Goro Kakei. He was a man who possessed a fiery soul, so much so that it felt as if an undying heat was enveloping him when we were sat nearby. I can’t believe that someone filled with such vitality has passed away. So that this flame won’t die out, I decided to collate the fragments of the memories I have of him.”

Goro Kakei was a sculptor whose artistic career spanned across but was not limited to mediums such as sculpting, woodblock printing, drawing and crafting. Makoto Saeki is a writer who corresponded with Kakei via letters and supported his work by listening to his thoughts on his various projects. Saeki has recently published a book which contains a number of stories between him and Kakei.

The cover was designed by Yuri Abelson of Postalco, who studied under Kakei. During the book club to celebrate the book’s publication, Yuri shared some of the important lessons she received from Kakei, such as the importance of observing things that interest you, and being aware of the perspective of that which you are observing. This book is a window that really allows you to get to know Goro Kakei, a man who lived a solitary but love-filled life with the desire to see the true nature of things.

Goro Kakei: From Near and From Afar
Author: Makoto Saeki
Book Design: Yuri Abelson
Publisher: Little Gift Books