Due
MASARU BANDO
Nestled in the vibrant blooms of Huntington Park’s Rose Garden, Due by Masaru Bando captures an intimate moment of human connection. This striking bronze sculpture depicts two figures in a tender embrace, their forms intertwining gracefully, symbolizing unity, love, and mutual support. The smooth, flowing lines and gentle contours of the piece invite quiet reflection on the beauty of relationships and the strength found in togetherness. With its serene presence, Due stands as a powerful reminder of the bonds we share and the comfort found in the arms of another.
This sculpture was dedicated to Carol Capó, in lasting and loving memory of her irrepressible spirit and her many contributions to the community and the Newport News Public Art Foundation.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
MASARU BANDO
Masaru Bando explains, “I am interested in the human condition and its expression. My work begins with the study of life models, from which I make life-size charcoal drawings and abstract and figurative sculptures in clay, plaster, wood and bronze. Thinking and working with the figure includes the understanding of the internal spiritual and physical essence of the human form as well as the expansion of the form into the surrounding space.”
Bando was born in 1952 in Hokkaido, Japan. At the age of 22, after studying sculpture at Tokyo Zoukei University, he went to Italy, as many sculptors do, to study at the Rome Academia Della’Arte. Soon, he was exhibiting in Italy and Paris, and in 1979, he won the International Premio Rome Award.
Beginning in the 1980s, Bando has exhibited extensively and created commissioned works. His sculpture is in the collections of museums, sculpture parks and corporate facilities, primarily in Japan but also in the United States and Korea. He divides his time between Japan and New York City.
Bando’s website: www.masarubando.com
Artist: Masaru Bando
Details: Bronze on granite base, 7′ high. Installed June 2016.
Site: The Rose Garden at Huntington Park off Warwick Boulevard
Audio Tour
This sculpture, titled Due, by Japanese sculptor Masaru Bando is the 19th piece of public art installed by the Newport News Public Art Foundation. Due is located in the Rose Garden in historic Huntington Park. This garden bursts into color by early May and remains in bloom until late fall. It is where many couples embark on a lifetime journey together through marriage.
Due is a beautiful 7-foot tall bronze sculpture of a man and a woman embracing. In Bando’s own words:
“Thinking and working with the figure includes the understanding of the internal, spiritual, and physical essence of the human form, as well as the expansion of the form into the surrounding space. That concept is the embodiment of the soul of somebody or some thing. I want the sculpture to touch the viewer through their immediacy and expression. In the same way I want the viewer to enliven the sculpture through touching.”
Due is dedicated to Carol Capó in lasting and loving memory of her irrepressible spirit and her many contributions to the community and to the Newport News Public Art Foundation.
