Street Debris into Tiny Daily Sculptures

by Yuji Agematsu

Installation view of ‘Yuji Agematsu: 2023-2024’ (May 10 to August 30, 2025), 101 Spring Street,
Judd Foundation, New York

Each day, Yuji Agematsu takes a walk for the explicit purpose of scouring the streets. The dried leaf, lost toy, and even the wad of gum discarded on a park bench are his treasures, which he retrieves and places in the clear cellophane that wraps a pack of cigarettes. Although Agematsu no longer smokes, this habit of wandering and collecting has been harder to break: he’s been committed to it since 1996.

“Zip: 11.16.24” (detail), mixed media in cigarette pack cellophane wrapper, approximately 2 1/4 x 2 1/8 x 3/4 inches

Once tucked inside the thin envelope, the artist’s findings become an homage to the beauty of the mundane. He arranges trash and other findings almost like ikebana, using a glass shard or cracked stick to find balance and harmony. Objects others would barely notice are materials that represent the human condition and contemporary concerns. In Agematsu’s eyes, they reveal a whole host of insights about our individual and collective lives.